Nepal ex-chief justice Karki becomes PM after protests

Nepal’s former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn in on Friday to lead the transition as the country’s next prime minister after deadly anti-corruption protests ousted the government.

The 73-year-old Karki, Nepal’s first woman chief justice, was sworn into office by President Ram Chandra Paudel, after the previous prime minister quit on Tuesday as parliament was set ablaze.

“Congratulations! We wish you success, wish the country success,” Paudel said to Karki after the small ceremony in the presidential palace, attended by diplomats and some former leaders.

Born in 1952 in Biratnagar, an industrial town in eastern Nepal, Karki earned degrees in political science in India and in law in Kathmandu.

She began her career as a lawyer in 1979, and quickly gained a reputation as a fearless advocate, often taking up cases others avoided.

The Himalayan nation of 30 million people was plunged into chaos this week after security forces tried to crush rallies by young anti-corruption protesters.

At least 51 people were killed in the worst violence since the end of a civil war and the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.

The military took back control of the streets on Wednesday, enforcing a curfew.

The appointment of the judge, known for her independence, comes after two days of intense negotiations by army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel and Paudel, including with representatives from “Gen Z,” the loose umbrella title of the youth protest movement.

Thousands of young activists had used the online app Discord to debate the next steps - and name Karki as their choice of next leader.

Karki, dressed in a red sari dress, took the oath but did not make a further speech.

She smiled and bowed with her hands pressed together repeatedly in traditional greetings.

“It is a moment of victory... finally the power vacuum has ended,” said Amrita Ban, a Gen Z protester.

“We did it,” key youth protest group Hami Nepal posted on Instagram, calling for unity.

“Honour the lives of those who sacrificed themselves for this moment.”

Presidential press advisor Kiran Pokharel told reporters that “a council of ministers will be formed after, and other processes will be taken from there.”

Protests fed into longstanding economic woes in Nepal, where a fifth of people aged 15-24 are unemployed, according to the World Bank, with GDP per capita standing at just $1,447.

At least 21 protesters were among those killed, mainly on Monday during the police crackdown on demonstrations against corruption and poor governance that was sparked by a ban on social media.

Parliament, major government buildings and a Hilton Hotel were among the sites set ablaze by protesters on Tuesday.

KP Sharma Oli, the 73-year-old leader of the Communist Party, then quit as prime minister. His whereabouts are not known.

More than 12,500 prisoners who escaped from jails across the country during the chaos “are still at large,” police spokesman Binod Ghimire told reporters.

Nepal’s army said it had recovered more than 100 guns looted in the uprising, during which protesters were seen brandishing automatic rifles.

Soldiers patrolled the largely quiet streets of the capital Kathmandu for a third day on Friday.

“I was very afraid, and stayed locked inside my home with family and didn’t leave,” said Naveen Kumar Das, a painter-decorator in his mid-40s.

He was among many ordinary residents of Kathmandu who took advantage of a brief lifting of the curfew to stock up on supplies.

James Karki, 24, who was among the protesters, said he was hopeful for change ahead.

“We started this movement so we could make a better Nepal,” he said.

Agence France-Presse