Nepal welcomed its new prime minister into office on Sunday, with a call for calm and collaboration to rebuild the nation following a series of violent protests that claimed the lives of at least 72 individuals and caused extensive damage to government infrastructure and officials’ residences. Sushila Karki, the country’s inaugural female prime minister, announced that families of deceased demonstrators would receive financial compensation of one million rupees each, while ensuring appropriate care for the injured. Emphasizing the need for national unity, Karki vowed to steer the South Asian country back on the path of progress.
The protests, dubbed “the protest of Gen Z,” erupted on Monday in response to a brief social media ban, drawing tens of thousands of demonstrators, predominantly young people, incensed by rampant corruption and poverty, juxtaposed with the opulent lifestyles of politically influential individuals’ offspring, known as “nepo kids.” The demonstrations escalated into violence as protesters targeted the parliament building, prompting police intervention and culminating in the resignation of former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, who vacated his official residence.
In the wake of the unrest, the prime minister’s official premises, along with the president’s office, the Supreme Court, key government ministries, and multiple police stations, were set ablaze, alongside the vandalization of properties belonging to influential families and outlets of a prominent supermarket chain in Nepal. Order was eventually restored following the army’s intervention, paving the way for dialogues among protesters, military personnel, and the president to establish an interim government.
Seventy-three-year-old Karki assumed the role of interim prime minister on Friday, lauded for her principled stand against governmental corruption during her tenure as the sole female chief justice of the Supreme Court from 2016 to 2017. The scheduling of fresh parliamentary elections has been confirmed for March 5.