Sushila Karki gets the job to steer Nepal out of unrest, Gen Z leaders to keep watch on interim govt

After three days of unrest and political violence, Nepal chose Sushila Karki as the country’s interim Prime Minister, making her the first woman to assume the post in the country. Karki’s appointment came after a historic week of widespread youth protests, which led to the resignation of her predecessor, KP Sharma Oli, along with the dissolution of the parliament.

The former chief justice of Nepal took the oath of office on late Friday after intense negotiations. Karki will now be at the helm of an interim government until fresh elections take place in March next year. The youth who took part in the Gen Z movement see Karki as a widely respected figure known for her hardline stand against corruption.

The 73-year-old was appointed as Nepal’s first female chief justice in 2016 and is known for delivering several high-profile judgments against ministers and senior police in corruption cases, coming into the crosshairs of the major political parties as a result.

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Why Gen Z chose Karki?

After retiring as chief justice of Nepal, Karki has established herself as a prominent figure in the country’s civil society and has voiced her concerns over corruption and political malpractices in Nepal. She was also outspoken against the lethal force used against protesters, describing it as a “massacre”, and was given the backing of the popular young mayor of Kathmandu, rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, who is widely revered among the younger generation.

Soon after Karki’s appointment, Nepal’s president’s office released a statement on Friday confirming that they had “fixed March 5, 2026, Thursday for the elections”. Soon after Karki assumed the role of the country’s PM, many in the Gen Z movement are pushing her to immediately investigate corruption allegations against former prime minister Oli and his ministers and hold an inquiry into the protest deaths that took place.

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Challenges that lie ahead

The following are the challenges Kharki will be facing as she takes on the role.

• Restoring law and order 

For now, one of the major challenges Kharki will be facing is restoring law and order across the country following a historically violent protest. This might be a hard task for the government since reports are emerging that incidents of vandalism, violence, and arson are still taking place in different parts of the country.

What is more concerning is the fact that at least 11,505 prisoners, including high-profile ones, have escaped from various jails, and most of them still remain at large since security forces were only able to arrest and re-arrest around 1,459 prisoners, who had fled the jail.

These jailbirds and anarchic elements in the country can still pose a major challenge for Karki’s interim government regarding maintaining law and order in the country. We have seen in the case of Bangladesh how extremist elements in the country continue to create ruckus as the interim government under Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus struggles to bring stability following a violent revolution.

• Holding elections in six months

Soon after coming to power, Kharki was given the deadline of six months for holding an election in a country that had just been ransacked. The Gen Z movement was a campaign against politicians of Nepal and their outfits. The group believed that almost all politicians, regardless of the parties, were corrupt. So now the big question is: Who will contest if political parties do not participate in the elections?

Most of the prominent politicians of Nepal have already fled the country; others might face investigations over corruption allegations. If any of the already established politician makes a comeback, there are chances that they might see the wrath of Gen Z again. Hence, the whole ordeal has created a vacuum in terms of the political infrastructure of the country. Karki might also have to see that the next government which comes to power does not face the same fate, ensuring a smooth transition after the revolution.

• Will Karki make Gen Z proud? 

At the end of the day, what becomes important is to be aware of the fact that Karki had been a jurist. She has never been in politics. Hence, she will also face the challenge of handling the demands and aspirations of Gen Z campaigners.

Many are also afraid that the interim government will be influenced by external actors. Some are also concerned about the interim government falling into the same corruption trap. Overall, the fate of Nepal now lies in Karki’s hands. Only time will tell if she will manage to create a success story.