In 2008, Nepal declared itself a federal democratic republic. The 2015 Constitution formalised it. But who would have thought, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the Constitution, the Himalayan nation of 30 million people would be picking its Prime Minister at the Army Headquarters?
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After Nepal’s youth-led protests against misrule and corruption led to the fall of the K.P. Sharma Oli government last week, the Army stepped in to maintain law and order, with Army chief Gen. Ashok Sigdel appointed as the chief negotiator. When youth campaigners, largely dubbed as Gen Z, proposed the name of Sushila Karki, Gen. Sigdel facilitated the process to appoint her as the head of the new government. She was administered the oath of office by President Ram Chandra Poudel on Friday at a brief ceremony. Ms. Karki, the first woman Chief Justice of Nepal, is now the country’s first woman Prime Minister.
Born on June 7, 1952, in Biratnagar, some 380 km southeast of Kathmandu, she holds a Master’s degree in political science from Banaras Hindu University, and a law degree from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu.
She married Durga Subedi, who was then a leader of the Nepali Congress. A 1973 plane hijack to raise funds for the Nepali Congress was reportedly masterminded by Mr. Subedi.
Those who have worked with her and known her personally say Ms. Karki has maintained probity throughout her career. Her anti-corruption stand has been exemplary.
She began her career in law in 1979 and became a senior advocate in 2007. Two years later, she was appointed a Supreme Court judge. In 2010, she became a permanent justice of the Supreme Court.
After serving as Acting Chief Justice from April 13 to July 10, 2016, she was appointed Chief Justice on July 11. She retired on June 7, 2017. Her refusal to bow to political pressure earned her a reputation as a woman of mettle, while also inviting an impeachment motion by the Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre). The motion was later withdrawn after the Supreme Court barred further proceedings.
Balram K.C., a former Supreme Court judge, says there could not have been any better person to lead the country at this time. “The Gen Z campaigners, whose entire campaign was against corruption, are right to back someone who always championed clean and transparent governance,” he said. Since her retirement, Ms. Karki has remained active in public forums on various judicial and social issues, including anti-corruption efforts.
She rose to public prominence as a judge in 2012 when she convicted Nepali Congress leader J.P. Gupta in a corruption case while he was still serving as Minister of Information and Communications. It was she who had issued the order to reopen a case against then-Chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Lokman Singh Karki, in response to a review petition. Later, in a landmark verdict, a full bench of three justices, excluding her, disqualified Lokman Singh from office in 2017. Ms. Karki’s decision to revive the case had drawn widespread attention at the time.In yet another landmark ruling, she directed the government to investigate an Army official in the rape and murder of Maina Sunar, a case that became a symbol of human rights violations from the state side during the 1996–2006 Maoist insurgency.
On more than one occasion after her retirement, she publicly stated that political party leaders often exert undue pressure to appoint judges under “their quota” — a revelation of how the judiciary was being politicised and maligned. Hardly any politician has escaped her straightforward and scathing opprobrium. Despite making it to the Supreme Court on the Nepali Congress quota, Ms. Karki never hesitated to call out Congress leaders for their wrongdoings and misconduct.
Lok Raj Baral, a professor and former Ambassador of Nepal to India, says his acquaintance with Ms. Karki goes back a long way and he has always been impressed by her no-nonsense personality. “She speaks her mind and refuses to compromise,” Mr. Baral said. “It’s her integrity that gives her the strength.”
That is not to say she is without controversy.
She has faced allegations of favouring political figures in judicial appointments and of lacking impartiality in some decisions. In 2013, when then-Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi was picked by Nepal’s political parties to lead an interim government to oversee elections to the Constituent Assembly, Ms. Karki and then-Acting Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha had argued that Justice Regmi’s dual role was against the spirit of the Interim Constitution.
At the time, criticism had mounted that a sitting Chief Justice leading the executive violated the principle of separation of powers. So, as Ms. Karki was being considered to lead an interim government — akin to the one once led by Mr. Regmi — some critics were quick to point to her past stance.
However, observers say it’s not the right time to dwell on past incidents and debate over the constitutionality of the process.
“If one were to split hairs, one can find foibles in everyone. So that’s not the issue here. Her anti-corruption stand has been impeccable and our Gen Z fought to root out corruption,” Mr. Balram said. “What needs to be ensured is that Ms. Karki and her soon-to-be-formed Cabinet get full support of the people for a smooth transition.”
Immediately after assuming office on Friday night, Ms. Karki, as the Prime Minister, recommended dissolution of Parliament and declared elections for March 5, 2026.
“What has been plaguing this country is the lack of rule of law, rampant corruption, and the highhandedness of political parties,” Ms. Karki has said on multiple occasions at public forums. “Once all these are rooted out, no one can stop Nepal from charting the path of peace and prosperity.”
As Ms. Karki is set to form a Cabinet, immense challenges lie ahead — she has to launch an independent probe into the September 8 violence in which 19 young people were killed, and a criminal investigation into September 9 arson and vandalism, restoring confidence among the Nepali people.
The biggest task on her shoulders is to conduct free and fair elections to restore the democratic and constitutional process and give back Parliament its inherent right to pick the Prime Minister.
Published – September 14, 2025 01:36 am IST
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