Nepal has first female prime minister as president dissolves parliament and sets March elections

KATHMANDU: The president of Nepal on Friday (Sep 12) appointed former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim prime minister and the first woman to head the Himalayan nation’s government following fiery protests that caused the collapse of the previous administration.

President Ram Chandra Poudel also dissolved parliament and set March 5 as the date for elections based on the recommendation of the new prime minister, the president’s office said in a statement late Friday. The most recent legislative elections were held in 2022.

Karki, a popular figure while serving as the court’s only female chief justice in 2016 and 2017, was sworn in by the president on Friday in a small ceremony at the presidential residence that was broadcast on state-run television.

Karki, 73, was known for her stand against corruption in the government while serving as chief justice. Some lawmakers tried to impeach her in April 2017 and made accusations of bias, but the move was unsuccessful and criticised as an attack on the judiciary.