Australia has welcomed the appointment of Sushila Karki as Nepal’s interim prime minister, calling it an important step towards restoring stability after a week of violent unrest.
Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong said in a post: “Australia welcomes the appointment of Rt Hon Sushila Karki as interim Prime Minister of Nepal as a step towards resolving the difficult events of the past week.”
“We continue to urge calm and restraint to ensure the transition to elections is peaceful, accountable and inclusive. As a longstanding partner we support the people of Nepal during this time.”
Karki, 73, a former chief justice renowned for her uncompromising stance against corruption, was sworn in on Friday to lead an interim government tasked with preparing elections scheduled for 5 March 2026.
She vowed Sunday to follow the demands of the Gen Z protesters who helped bring down her predecessor, KP Sharma Oli.
“We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation… What this group is demanding is end of corruption, good governance and economic equality,” Karki said, adding that her interim government “will not stay here one day more than six months.”
Her appointment follows unprecedented Gen Z-led protests against corruption and a temporary social media ban that turned deadly.
More than 70 people, including three police personnel, were killed as demonstrators torched parliament and government buildings in Kathmandu, forcing Oli to resign.
Karki, Nepal’s first female chief justice in 2016, is backed by youth leaders and Kathmandu’s popular mayor Balendra Shah. She has a reputation for integrity, though her tenure as chief justice was not without controversy, including an impeachment attempt.
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