Nepal’s Interim PM Sushila Karki Vows Polls In Six Months, Hails Gen Z-Led Protests

<p>Sushila Karki, Nepal&rsquo;s newly appointed interim Prime Minister and a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, has pledged that her government will serve only as a caretaker and step aside within six months.</p>
<p>Addressing the nation after taking charge, the 73-year-old leader said her team&rsquo;s role is to stabilise the country and prepare for fresh elections, not to cling to power.</p>
<p>&ldquo;My team and I are not here to taste power. We won&rsquo;t stay for more than six months. We will hand over the responsibility to the new parliament,&rdquo; Karki said. &ldquo;We cannot succeed without your support.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The veteran jurist emphasised the importance of listening to younger voices. &ldquo;We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,&rdquo; she remarked, underscoring that her interim administration has been tasked with restoring order and responding to protesters&rsquo; demands for a corruption-free future.</p>
<p>The remarks came after days of violent demonstrations triggered by a social media ban and fuelled by deep-rooted economic grievances. Protesters torched parliament and key government buildings, forcing the resignation of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.</p>
<p>Karki praised the movement, calling it a &ldquo;nationwide Gen Z uprising&rdquo; against corruption, and announced that those killed during the unrest would be honoured as martyrs. Families of the deceased will receive 1 million Nepali rupees in compensation, while the government will cover medical expenses for the injured and provide them with financial support.</p>
<p>According to The Himalayan Times, at least 72 people have died in the turmoil, including 59 demonstrators, 10 inmates, and three police officers.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I have never seen such a transformation in just 27 hours of protests. We must work with determination,&rdquo; Karki said.</p>
<p>She also vowed to investigate incidents of vandalism and compensate citizens who suffered property damage during the unrest.</p>
<p>With unemployment among 15- to 24-year-olds hovering around 20 percent and GDP per capita standing at just $1,447, the Himalayan nation of 30 million faces an uphill challenge.</p>