The 73-year-old Sushila Karki was sworn in as prime minister for a transitional government in Nepal on Friday.
Karki, who becomes Nepal's first female leader, is to lead the country out of the crisis that has arisen after violent protests against, among other things, corruption, nepotism and a shutdown of social media.
She promises to listen to the mostly young demonstrators.
This group demands fair governance, economic equality and an end to corruption, she notes in a public statement on Sunday.
New elections in Nepal are planned for March 5, 2026. Karki's transitional government is to govern the country at least until then.
We will not stay longer than six months, no matter what happens, she says.
The demonstrations, which are mainly organized by the country's young people and are therefore called Gen Z protests, were triggered after the government's decision to block a large number of social media platforms. At least 72 people have died and 191 people have been injured, according to figures from the country's government.
Sushila Karki was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 2016–2017 and also broke new ground then as the first woman in the post. She made herself known in that role for her steadfastness in the work against corruption.
