Former chief justice Sushila Karki, who was nominated by gen Z representatives, to lead interim government
Former chief justice Sushila Karki, who was nominated by gen Z representatives, to lead interim government
Nepal has sworn in its first female prime minister after a historic week in which widespread youth protests forced the resigniation of her predecessor and the dissolving of parliament.
Sushila Karki, the former chief justice of Nepal, took the oath of office to lead an interim government late on Friday, after several tense days of negotiation.
Karki, a widely respected figure known for her hardline stand against corruption, had been nominated by a group who said they represented the self-described gen Z protesters who brought down the government earlier this week.
Tens of thousands of protesters, the majority of them below the age of 30, took to the streets on Monday to voice their opposition to a clumsily enforced ban on social media sites as well as bigger issues of corruption and nepotism among Nepal’s political elite.
Police responded with deadly force, including documented use of live ammunition. Twenty-one civilians taking part in the demonstrations were killed on what became the bloodiest day of protest in Nepal’s history.
By Tuesday, rage at the government had reached a fever pitch and the country’s parliament buildings, as well as the homes of the prime minister – KP Sharma Oli – president and other ministers were all set on fire and the capital, Kathmandu, resembled a burned out war zone.
