Former chief justice of Nepal, Sushila Karki, will be sworn in as interim prime minister of the country, the Nepal president's office informed on Friday. Karki will become the first woman to hold the office of prime minister in the country.
The development comes after talks between Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel, Gen-Z rebellion representatives and the Army ended inconclusively during the early hours of Thursday. According to the president's office, Karki will be sworn in around 9pm on Friday.
The caretaker government headed by former chief justice Karki will address the demands of Gen-Z protesters and conduct fresh elections in the country hit by violent protests. Though Karki's name was first proposed by the protesters, the administration continued consultation over other names and also whether the Parliament must be dissolved.
Born in Biratnagar in 1952, Karki holds degrees in political science and law. She began her professional life as a lawyer and assistant teacher before rising through Nepal’s legal ranks.
The Gen-Z protesters reportedly proposed her name, considering she is not affiliated with any political party and her strong stand against corruption. Interestingly, Karki faced impeachment from major political parties in 2017.
Former Nepal prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday following widespread protests by Gen-Z in the neighbouring country against rampant corruption. What started as a protest against the Nepal government's ban on social media platforms soon took a violent form, leading to the death of at least 51 people.
