Sushila Karki Becomes Nepal's First Female Prime Minister

 

In a political coup, President Ramchandra Paudel on Friday dissolved Nepal's House of Representatives and appointed former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the caretaker Prime Minister. Karki, 73, also becomes Nepal's first woman Prime Minister, with a mandate to steer the country up to new elections on March 5, 2026.

The move came amid unprecedented protests by Gen Z demonstrators, who had been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the formation of an interim, non-political government. Following days of violent unrest and the resignation of Oli, Karki was sworn in at the Presidential Palace in Kathmandu.

"With 3,000 years of patriarchal heritage, this win is for all Nepali women who ever dared imagine that change was possible," declared Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, one of the protest movement's most high-profile supporters.

Key highlights:

• President Ramchandra Paudel dissolves Nepal’s Parliament and appoints Sushila Karki as interim Prime Minister
• Karki becomes Nepal’s first woman Prime Minister, following mass Gen Z-led protests demanding political reform
• National elections scheduled for March 5, 2026, as the interim government begins work on restoring order and preparing reforms

President Paudel's decision to dissolve Parliament followed intense consultations with legal giants and political heavyweights. "Her appointment is a remedial measure taken at a time of crisis. Its legitimacy is not likely to be questioned," said Bipin Adhikari, constitutional scholar and professor at Kathmandu University.

Karki will now form a Cabinet to oversee governance and preparations for the national elections. Her priorities include restoring law and order, prosecuting those involved in the September 8 violence, and laying groundwork for constitutional reforms.

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India’s Ministry of External Affairs welcomed the interim government, expressing hope for “peace and stability” in Nepal.

Karki’s rise symbolizes both a generational shift and a crucial opportunity for democratic renewal in the Himalayan nation.