Sushila Karki is set to take oath as the Interim Prime Minister of Nepal today at 8:45 PM amid ongoing political unrest in the country. Her appointment comes as leaders work to stabilise the government during this transitional period. Preparations to appoint her as the Interim PM are in full swing in Nepal. President Ram Chandra Paudel will be present during the swearing-in.
The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for 8:45 pm local time (8:30 pm IST), at Rashtrapati Bhavan, according to reports. Karki, who studied at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in India, was among four candidates, before being finally chosen after talks involving Nepal President Ram Chandra Poudel, Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel, and representatives of protestors – dubbed “Gen Z”. The move aligns with the demands of the protesting Gen-Z demonstrators, who have been calling for immediate dissolution of Parliament and the formation of a non-partisan interim administration.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was forced to resign due to nationwide violent protests led by Gen-Z on 8 and 9 September against his government over corruption, nepotism and social media ban. The Gen-Z protesters demanded that the current parliament be dissolved and an interim government be formed in the country till the next national elections, which was accepted by President Ram Chandra Paudel after consultations with the Army Chief.
Preparations are underway to form a small cabinet under the interim government. Senior advocate Om Prakash Aryal and former head of the Nepal Electricity Authority, Kulman Ghising, may be appointed as ministers. One or two representatives from Gen-Z groups could also be included in the interim government. After Sushila Karki’s swearing-in, the first cabinet meeting will be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where decisions may be taken to establish a judicial inquiry commission and a strong anti-corruption commission.
Sushila Karki’s swearing-in was one of the key demands put forward by Gen-Z representatives. The decision followed day-long consultations at the President’s Office, Sheetal Niwas, and meets a key demand of the Gen-Z demonstrators pressing for Parliament’s dissolution and a non-partisan administration, according to Presidential Press Advisor Kiran Pokhrel.
