Gen-Z proposes BHU alumna Karki to lead interim govt in crisis-hit Nepal

Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki has emerged as the most likely choice to head Nepal’s interim government, after days of violent Gen-Z-led protests forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign.

Karki, 73, is the first and only woman to have served as Chief Justice of Nepal. She has now been endorsed by protest organisers as a non-partisan leader capable of steering the country through its deepening political crisis.

The youth-driven movement has demanded a corruption-free administration, dissolution of Parliament and constitutional reforms.

In this atmosphere of turmoil, protest leaders, as per local media, held a marathon virtual meeting where they unanimously backed Karki as interim Prime Minister. Widely respected for her integrity and independence, she is seen as an acceptable figure across political lines.

Born in Biratnagar in 1952, Karki studied at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi and Tribhuvan University before beginning her legal career in the late 1970s. She rose through the judiciary to become Nepal’s Chief Justice in 2016, a tenure marked by an attempted impeachment that was withdrawn after public pressure.

Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah and former electricity board CEO Kulman Ghising were among the names being considered to lead an interim government.

Nepali Congress, the largest party in the House of Representatives, General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma issued a joint statement, saying they are ready to cooperate with the Gen-Z group. However, they emphasised that any decision must follow the constitutional and legal process.