Sushila Karki sworn in as Nepal’s interim Prime Minister

New Delhi, Sep 12: Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was sworn in on Friday as Nepal’s interim prime minister at a special ceremony held at Sheetal Niwas. Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office in the presence of Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Chief Justice Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha, senior government officials, security chiefs, and members of the diplomatic community, reports The Himalayan Times newspaper of Nepal.  President Paudel appointed Karki under his constitutional authority to safeguard the Constitution and foster national unity. Acting on the outgoing prime minister’s recommendation, he tasked the interim government with holding parliamentary elections within six months. Karki’s appointment comes in the wake of nationwide protests, led largely by Gen-Z demonstrators, demanding the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the creation of a non-partisan administration.

Although plans were made to induct a three-member cabinet alongside her oath-taking, political parties have yet to agree on ministerial nominees.

Until then, Karki will oversee all government portfolios. Her elevation marks a historic milestone, as she becomes the first woman to serve as prime minister of Nepal.

Karki is no stranger to breaking barriers. In 2016, she became Nepal’s first woman Chief Justice, after being recommended by the Constitutional Council chaired by then-Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. Her judicial tenure was noted for politically sensitive and socially transformative rulings. Now, nearly a decade later, she returns to the national stage as interim leader, following Oli’s resignation and amid the political turbulence of recent weeks.