Nepal’s new Prime Minister, Sushila Karki, is already under pressure just days after getting into office. The same young people who forced out her predecessor, are now pressing her to deliver on their demands—and fast.
At 73, Karki is under pressure to prove she is not just a caretaker. Gen-Z protesters want her to move boldly: arrest party bosses accused of corruption, kick out political heavyweights clinging to powerful offices, and ensure that those behind the killing of 74 people during this month’s demonstrations in major towns across the country face justice in court.
There’s a support for her yes, but it’s not that open and defined. Some youth groups have openly accused Karki of looking the other way on graft when she served as Chief Justice. That history, they say, makes them wary of her commitment now, and now thinks that she can be compelled to compromise on her key mandate of slaying corruption dragon.
Impatience amongst the youth is already hanging in the air. Protesters are demanding that ministers from the ousted government also be prosecuted without delay.
Nepal’s corruption ranking tells its own story: 107th out of 108, according to Transparency International’s 2024 report.
For many young Nepalis, that statistic is proof that the old guard has failed them, and are squarely to blame—and Karki’s real test will be whether she dares to break away from the status quo.
