Sushila Karki, Nepal’s newly appointed interim Prime Minister and a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, has pledged that her government will serve only as a caretaker and step aside within six months.
Addressing the nation after taking charge, the 73-year-old leader said her team’s role is to stabilise the country and prepare for fresh elections, not to cling to power.
“My team and I are not here to taste power. We won’t stay for more than six months. We will hand over the responsibility to the new parliament,” Karki said. “We cannot succeed without your support.”
The veteran jurist emphasised the importance of listening to younger voices. “We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” she remarked, underscoring that her interim administration has been tasked with restoring order and responding to protesters’ demands for a corruption-free future.
The remarks came after days of violent demonstrations triggered by a social media ban and fuelled by deep-rooted economic grievances. Protesters torched parliament and key government buildings, forcing the resignation of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
Karki praised the movement, calling it a “nationwide Gen Z uprising” against corruption, and announced that those killed during the unrest would be honoured as martyrs. Families of the deceased will receive 1 million Nepali rupees in compensation, while the government will cover medical expenses for the injured and provide them with financial support.
According to The Himalayan Times, at least 72 people have died in the turmoil, including 59 demonstrators, 10 inmates, and three police officers.
“I have never seen such a transformation in just 27 hours of protests. We must work with determination,” Karki said.
She also vowed to investigate incidents of vandalism and compensate citizens who suffered property damage during the unrest.
With unemployment among 15- to 24-year-olds hovering around 20 percent and GDP per capita standing at just $1,447, the Himalayan nation of 30 million faces an uphill challenge.
