(Bloomberg) — Nepal’s president on Friday appointed former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim prime minister, the Associated Press reported, after deadly unrest toppled the Himalayan nation’s senior leadership this week.
Karki would be sworn in later Friday, the news agency said, citing an announcement by President Ram Chandra Poudel’s spokesman Kiran Pokhrel. Karki would become the country’s first female prime minister.
The appointment marks a break from the traditional political establishment, signaling an effort to placate young protesters demanding an end to entrenched corruption.
READ: Nepal Holds Talks on Interim Leadership After Deadly Unrest
Nepal is facing its most serious political crisis in decades, as Gen Z protesters — mostly teenagers and young adults — flooded the streets this week following the government’s abrupt ban on popular social media platforms. A rushed reversal of the ban failed to calm the unrest, which escalated into violent demonstrations that left hundreds injured and several government buildings set ablaze. At least 51 people were killed, news agency AFP reported Friday, citing the local police.
More than 12,500 inmates — including Indian nationals — remain on the run after breaking out of prisons across Nepal, according to AFP.
Following Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s resignation on Tuesday, the Nepali Army deployed troops across Kathmandu to contain the unrest. While tensions remain high, some signs of normalcy are beginning to return to the streets.
The Himalayan nation is the latest in the South Asian region to be shaken by violent anti-government street protests, driven largely by young people. Last year, demonstrations in Bangladesh culminated in the ouster of longtime leader Sheikh Hasina, while in 2022 Sri Lanka’s government also fell amid mass unrest.
While Nepal’s protests were sparked by the restrictions on social media platforms, they also reflect frustrations among Nepal’s youth over joblessness and inequality. Terms like “nepo kids” have been trending widely on social media posts related to the protests — used to derisively describe the trend of children of elites flaunting their wealth.
More than 20% of the country’s 30 million people live in poverty, according to the World Bank, while the most recent official figures estimate youth unemployment at 22%.
–With assistance from Swati Gupta and Diksha Madhok.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com