South Asia

Nepal's PM Karki vows to end corruption, says will serve only 6 months in office

Published: 12:47, 17 September 2025

Nepal’s interim prime minister, Sushila Karki, has promised that her time in office will be short and focused. Sworn in on Friday, the former chief justice said she would hold the post for no more than six months and step aside once a new government is elected on March 5, 2026.

“I never sought this responsibility. It was the people’s voices from the streets that forced me to accept,” Karki declared in her first public remarks as premier. She emphasized that her administration would honor the demands of the youth-led “Gen Z” protest movement, which has shaken Nepal’s political establishment in recent weeks.
Her elevation comes in the shadow of a deadly uprising against corruption. More than 70 people lost their lives, including three police officers, when demonstrations over a controversial social media ban spiraled into violent clashes earlier this month. Government offices, politicians’ homes, and even the parliament building were set ablaze, leaving the country reeling.
Karki admitted she felt “ashamed” at the destruction. “If Nepalis themselves can burn down institutions built for their own future, what does that say about us?” she asked.
At 71, Karki is no stranger to controversy. She became Nepal’s first woman chief justice in 2016 and built a reputation for integrity, though her tenure ended with an impeachment attempt that many critics said was politically motivated. That record, however, has helped her win credibility among protesters demanding an end to entrenched corruption, economic inequality, and political patronage.
Still, the challenges ahead are daunting. Her caretaker government must not only restore law and order but also rebuild scorched government buildings, stabilize a fragile economy, and convince disillusioned citizens that reforms will follow. For many Nepalis, the stakes feel larger than one interim term: there are fears that the country’s young democracy could slide backwards if the crisis deepens.
Karki struck a conciliatory note, saying her cabinet would govern with transparency and humility. “We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” she said, pledging to carry the protest movement’s call for accountability into policy. Whether six months will be enough to deliver meaningful change, however, remains an open question.