Nepal’s new interim PM Sushila Karki vows to tackle corruption after Gen Z-led protests

Karki, 73, a former chief justice, has been tasked with restoring calm and laying the groundwork for elections in six months, following days of unrest that have shaken the Himalayan nation.

The protests, led largely by Gen Z demonstrators, erupted last week after a controversial ban on social media.

They quickly escalated into wider anger over corruption and economic hardship, with parliament and several government buildings set on fire.

“We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” Karki said in her first public remarks since taking office on Friday.

Nepal faces deep-rooted economic challenges: according to the World Bank, one in five Nepalis aged 15 to 24 is unemployed, while GDP per capita remains at just $1,447.

Sushila Karki becomes the first woman PM of Nepal

Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was sworn in on Thursday as the interim Prime Minister of Nepal, becoming the country’s first woman to hold the post after days of violent protest and turbulence.

The ceremony took place at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in Kathmandu, capping days of political speculation and intense negotiations.

The oath was administered by President Ram Chandra Paudel in the presence of Vice President Ram Sahay Yadav and Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Rawat.

Following the ceremony, it was formally decided that general elections will be held on March 5, 2026.

Karki’s appointment comes amid a turbulent political climate marked by youth-led protests against corruption and restrictions on social media.

As interim leader, she is expected to head a small caretaker cabinet tasked with steering the country toward fresh elections.

The breakthrough comes after three days of nationwide protests, largely led by young demonstrators angered by corruption and a government ban on several social media platforms.

By Wednesday, Karki’s name had gained traction among the protesters as a consensus candidate to lead a transitional administration.

Nepal’s Gen-Z revolt: How a social media ban shook the nation

It began with silence. One September morning, young Nepalis woke to find their phones suddenly quieter: Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, X, and two dozen other apps had gone dark.

The government’s explanation was dry—these platforms had “failed to register” under new rules. But to a generation that lives, learns, and organizes online, it felt like something else entirely: censorship.

Within hours, the streets of Kathmandu were alive. University students, job-seekers, artists, and influencers poured into public squares, chanting against corruption, nepotism, and a political class they accused of living in luxury while ordinary citizens struggled.

What started as an angry pushback against a ban quickly swelled into something larger.

“Enough is enough!” became the rallying cry. Videos, ironically recorded before the blackout and later shared when access was restored, showed crowds marching through the capital, waving placards that read “Gen-Z for Change”.

The violence shocked the country. The very platforms the government tried to suppress turned into channels of outrage, as VPNs and backdoors allowed images of injured protesters to spread globally. International condemnation poured in.

Cornered, the previous government backtracked. Within three days, the social media ban was lifted, a rare victory wrested by youth power. Yet, the protests had already outgrown their original spark.

Calls grew louder for deeper change: an end to corruption, accountability from leaders, and new elections.

Political elites, long accustomed to horse-trading and fragile coalitions, suddenly seemed powerless before an angry, mobilized generation.

The protest compelled former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign.