The developments followed days of mass protests.
- Sushila Karki was sworn in as Nepal's interim Prime Minister today
- She is Nepal's first woman head of government
- The appointment followed consensus among the President, Army chief, and Generation Z protesters
Former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn in as the interim Prime Minister of Nepal. The ceremony, held at Nepal's Rashtrapati Bhawan, capped days of speculation and behind-the-scenes negotiations, bringing to office the country's first woman head of government. Following the oath-taking ceremony, it was decided that general elections would be held on March 5, 2026.
Besides President Ramchandra Paudel and PM Karki, Vice President Ram Sahay Yadav and Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Rawat were present during swearing-in ceremony. India's Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, also met and congratulated the newly sworn-in PM.
"We welcome the formation of a new Interim Government in Nepal, led by Right Honourable Mrs Sushila Karki. We are hopeful that this would help in fostering peace and stability. As a close neighbour, a fellow democracy and a long term development partner, India will continue to work closely with Nepal for the well-being and prosperity of our two peoples and countries," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
The decision, announced formally by the Office of the President, followed a consensus between President Ram Chandra Paudel, Nepal Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel, and representatives of the Generation Z protest movement, whose agitation had driven the resignation of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli earlier in the week.
The developments followed days of mass protests, spearheaded by young Nepalese frustrated with corruption and unemployment. Those protests, which led to a police crackdown this week, left at least 51 people dead and forced the departure of Mr Oli.
While Ms Karki's name had been circulating for several days as a possible consensus candidate, she was not the only figure considered. At one stage, reports suggested that protesters were divided, with some rallying behind Kulman Ghising, the engineer widely credited with ending Nepal's power shortages.
Another name in the mix was Balendra Shah -- better known as Balen -- the 35-year-old Kathmandu mayor, rapper, and politician whose popularity among urban youth has surged.
Ms Karki, who served as Nepal's first female chief justice between 2016 and 2017, is regarded by many younger Nepalese as an uncompromising figure. During her time on the bench, she earned a reputation for taking a hard line against corruption.
Her judicial career, however, was not without turbulence. Less than a year into her tenure as chief justice, the government initiated an impeachment motion against her, a move widely seen as politically motivated. That effort collapsed under the weight of public pressure, but the episode left Ms Karki disillusioned and she eventually stepped down.
