Nepal’s new PM, Sushila Karki, took office on 12 September 2025 after deadly protests toppled the government. As Nepal’s new PM, the 73-year-old former chief justice enters with a clear mission: unify the nation and tackle corruption.
Protests sparked by corruption and bans
On 8 September, Gen Z youth flooded the streets after a government ban on Facebook and Instagram lit the fuse. Demonstrators raged against corruption, unemployment and inequality. Clashes turned fatal, killing at least 51 and injuring hundreds. Rioters torched parliament and government offices. Police fired tear gas and live rounds, and Kathmandu fell under curfew. The chaos forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign on 9 September, along with four ministers, leaving a brief leadership vacuum that was filled by Karki, Nepal’s new PM.
Discord fuels Gen Z’s voice
As streets burned, Discord became Nepal’s digital parliament. More than 145,000 people joined servers led by Hami Nepal to debate and poll for an interim leader.
“The parliament of Nepal right now is Discord,” said 23-year-old content creator Sid Ghimire.
Moderators urged speed: “Please decide on a representative right now — we do not have time.”
From this digital chaos, the choice of Karki as the leader emerged, later confirmed as Nepal’s new PM by the army chief and protest leaders who pitched her to President Ram Chandra Paudel.
Karki assumes power
Karki took the oath before Paudel and immediately dissolved parliament, setting elections for 5 March 2026.
“I did not wish for this job,” she said. “It was after voices from the streets that I was compelled to accept.”
A veteran of the 1990s anti-monarchy movement and later chief justice, she built a reputation for jailing corrupt officials and defending judicial independence. As Nepal’s new PM, she now leads a fragile transition while banks and courts begin to reopen.
Promises to crush corruption
On 14 September, Karki honoured the fallen with a minute’s silence and vowed to “work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation.” She pledged compensation of 1 million rupees to families of the deceased and promised to leave within six months.
The tasks ahead are stark: restore order, strengthen democracy and unite generations. With youth driving change, Nepal’s new PM signals a break with impunity, and a test of whether public trust can be rebuilt.
