E-Paper
Ex-chief justice Sushila Karki likely to be Nepal's interim PM: Report
She was removed as SC chief justice just months before her retirement in 2017 by the then PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and a large number of MPs.
Nepal's former chief justice Sushila Karki is likely to be appointed as the interim prime minister after Gen Z protests resulted in the resignation of KP Sharma Oli, Reuters reported, citing sources.
Karki, who was removed as the Supreme Court chief justice just months before her retirement in 2017 by the then PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and a large number of MPs, has been the Gen Z's choice for the PM office.
ALSO READ | Nepal President has a message amid talks with Gen Z to pick interim PM
The widespread protests in Nepal, which broke out on Monday over a ban on social media sites, turned violent and resulted in the deaths of at least 31 people and injuries to over 1,033 others. While the decision to ban was revoked, the agitation continued as the protests transformed into a full-scale anti-government movement. Mounting pressure resulted in KP Sharma Oli resigning as the prime minister, with protesters setting ablaze government buildings and residences of lawmakers.
ALSO READ | Sushila Karki, a frontrunner to be Nepal PM, no stranger to global spotlight: 2017 redux
"Sushila Karki will be appointed interim prime minister," Reuters reported, citing a constitutional expert who was consulted by President Ramchandra Paudel and army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel.
"They (Gen Z) want her. This will happen today," the source reportedly said.
Sushila Karki is likely to be appointed following a meeting at Paudel's residence, scheduled to take place at 9 am (3:15 GMT), a Gen Z source reportedly revealed.
Who is Sushila Karki?
Sushila Karki's name came up as a contender in the PM race after the protesters consulted the secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
In a nearly four-hour-long virtual meeting, Karki garnered more votes than Kathmandu mayor Balen Shah, who was also being considered as a contender for the top office.
Born on June 7, 1952 in Morang district's Biratnagar, Karki is the first female to hold the post of Nepal's chief justice.
ALSO READ | Nepal's Gen Z takes up brooms, cleaning streets after violent protests
She completed her graduation from the Mahendra Morang College in Biratnagar, and holds a Master's degree in Political Science from Banaras Hindu University (BHU). She later pursued law from Nepal's Tribhuvan University.
Karki also has a link to India. She recently acknowledged her BHU education, saying she still remembers her late teachers and friends. "I still remember my late teachers, my late friends... I still remember the river Ganga. Besides the Ganga, there was a hostel," Kurki said in the CNN-News18 interview.
