The suspense over Nepal’s interim prime minister has finally ended. Sushila Karki will become Nepal’s new interim prime minister. After the Gen-Z revolution in Nepal, her name had been at the centre of political discussions. Amid protests by Gen-Z youth and the ongoing political crisis, youth activists proposed her appointment as interim prime minister.
Midnight Meeting in Kathmandu
To build consensus over the formation of the interim government, Nepal’s President, Sushila Karki, and the army chief held a key midnight meeting in Kathmandu. A Gen-Z group had earlier issued a final warning to the army, saying it must declare Karki as the interim prime minister or face destruction.
First Female Chief Justice of Nepal
Sushila Karki made history as Nepal’s first female chief justice of the Supreme Court. She also shares a strong connection with India, having completed her post-graduation in Political Science from Banaras Hindu University (BHU).
Who is Sushila Karki?
Sushila Karki was born on June 7, 1952, in Biratnagar. She is the eldest among seven siblings. Her husband, Durga Prasad Subedi, also studied in Banaras and had an active political past. Subedi was a young leader of the Nepali Congress and became known for his role in movements against the Panchayat regime and even in an aeroplane hijacking case.
Karki completed her BA in 1972 from Mahendra Morang Campus in Biratnagar and earned a postgraduate degree in Political Science from BHU in 1975. Later, she pursued law at Tribhuvan University. In 1979, she began practising law in Biratnagar. She was appointed ad hoc justice at the Supreme Court in 2009 and received a permanent appointment in 2010.
Tenure as Chief Justice
On July 11, 2016, Sushila Karki was appointed as chief justice of the Supreme Court, becoming the first woman to achieve this milestone. She served for one year before retiring on June 7, 2017.
During her tenure, several historic verdicts were delivered. Some of the most notable included the Nepal Trust Office vs. Prerana Rajyalaxmi Rana (a property dispute involving a former royal princess) and Prithvi Bahadur Pandey vs. Kathmandu District Court (a corruption case linked to polymer banknote printing in Australia).
Impeachment Motion in Parliament
On April 30, 2017, the Maoist Centre and the Nepali Congress jointly filed an impeachment motion against her in parliament. However, mass public opposition and an interim order from the Supreme Court forced the withdrawal of the motion. The court had instructed parliament not to pursue the proposal further.
Contribution to Literature
Sushila Karki has also remained active in literature. She published two books, Nyaya (an autobiography) and Kara.
What Nepal Constitution Says
According to sources, Karki spent the entire day in multiple meetings. Nepal’s constitution bars former chief justices from holding political office. However, under the principle of necessity, the president must either suspend the particular constitutional clause to appoint her as prime minister or enact a special provision to safeguard the nation.
