Nepal turns to Karki after deadly unrest
Event date: September 12, 2025
Nepal appointed former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim prime minister on September 12, 2025 after days of violent protests brought down the previous government and pushed the country into a rapid transition. President Ram Chandra Poudel also dissolved parliament and set March 5 as the date for new elections.
Karki’s appointment made her the first woman to lead Nepal’s government. She took the oath in a small ceremony at the presidential residence in Kathmandu, where the state broadcast the swearing-in live. At 73, Karki brought a reputation for anti-corruption stances from her time as the court’s only female chief justice in 2016 and 2017.
The political shift followed demonstrations that began over a social media ban and quickly widened into a broader revolt against corruption, privilege and the political class. The initial restrictions on Facebook, X and YouTube were rescinded, but that did not stop the unrest. Protesters attacked and burned government buildings, the presidential residence and businesses, while the army moved to control the capital and curfew conditions were imposed.
The violence left at least 51 people dead, according to police, including protesters, three officers and inmates who were trying to break out of a jail in Kathmandu. Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli resigned and fled his official residence on Tuesday, and negotiations among protesters, the army and the president then shifted toward forming an interim administration.
Karki’s selection reflected both urgency and symbolism. She was a figure with judicial credibility rather than party machinery, and her selection signaled an attempt to stabilize the political system quickly while preserving a path to fresh elections. The president’s office said parliament would remain dissolved while the interim team steered the country toward the March vote.
The protests were described by participants as a Gen Z movement, but the grievances extended beyond platform access. Young demonstrators cast the unrest as a revolt against entrenched elites and the unequal distribution of opportunity, while soldiers remained on Kathmandu’s streets to enforce the curfew and manage movement during the transition.
The immediate question now is whether the interim government can restore order and confidence before the election date. The events of September 2025 have left Nepal with a new political figure at the top, a dissolved parliament and a public demanding a break from the system that collapsed under pressure.
