New Nepal Interim Ministers Sworn In After Protests

Nepal’s newly appointed interim prime minister pledged Sunday to uphold protesters’ demands to “end corruption” as she began her tenure, following mass youth-led demonstrations that toppled her predecessor.

Sushila Karki, 73, a former chief justice, has been tasked with restoring stability and addressing calls for a corruption-free future ahead of elections in six months.

The protests, triggered by a social media ban and fueled by long-standing economic frustrations, erupted last Monday and quickly escalated, with parliament and key government buildings set ablaze.

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

According to the World Bank, one in five Nepalis aged 15–24 is unemployed, while GDP per capita stands at just $1,447 in the Himalayan nation of 30 million.

“This generation is demanding an end to corruption, good governance, and economic equality,” she added.

On Sunday, Karki observed a minute’s silence for those killed in the unrest before convening meetings at Singha Durbar, the government complex where several buildings were torched during the protests.

At least 72 people were killed and 191 injured in two days of demonstrations, said chief secretary Eaknarayan Aryal, revising an earlier toll of 51. It marked the country’s worst unrest since the civil war ended and the monarchy was abolished in 2008.

Karki’s appointment, seen as a nod to her reputation for independence, followed intense negotiations led by army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel and President Ram Chandra Paudel, who also engaged with representatives of the Gen Z protest movement.

Thousands of young activists, organizing largely through Discord, had named Karki as their preferred leader.

“I did not wish to come here. My name was brought from the streets,” Karki acknowledged.

Parliament has been dissolved, with elections scheduled for March 5, 2026.

“We will not remain beyond six months under any circumstances. We will fulfill our responsibilities and hand over to the next parliament and ministers,” she vowed in a national address.

Many Nepalis expressed cautious hope. “This government’s responsibilities are not easy,” said 69-year-old grocery shopkeeper Satya Narayan of Pharping village. “It must also ensure unity and harmony by taking everyone along.”

President Paudel, who swore Karki in, said Saturday that “a peaceful solution has been found through a difficult process.” Soldiers have now reduced their presence in the streets, though more than 12,500 prisoners who escaped during the chaos remain at large.

Karki has received congratulations from regional leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who pledged New Delhi’s support for “peace, progress and prosperity” in Nepal, and China’s foreign ministry, which voiced hopes to “push China-Nepal relations steadily forward.”

The Dalai Lama also wished her success in meeting “the hopes and aspirations of the people of Nepal in these challenging times.”