Former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn in as Nepal's interim prime minister on Friday after deadly anti-graft protests that saw at least 51 killed and forced prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign, reports Reuters.
According to the president's office, Karki is tasked with holding fresh elections to the lower house of parliament by 11 March 2026.
She is also expected to appoint other ministers in a few days, authorities said.
President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath-taking ceremony at the presidential palace in a live broadcast, making Karki the country's first female head of government.
Karki, 73, is also the only woman to have served as chief justice of Nepal's Supreme Court.
Her appointment by the president followed negotiations between Paudel, army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel and the protesters.
More than 1,300 people were injured last week in anti-graft protests by the 'Gen Z' movement, named to reflect the age of its mainly young supporters, marking the country's worst upheaval since the end of a civil war and the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.
Gen Z protester Manjita Manandhar said she had "mixed emotions" over Karki's appointment, which came after the death of many young people during the unrest.
"But we did it!!!! For them! For New Nepal! The journey has just begun. We all Nepalis have to stay strong and put our best foot forward to make Nepal the best in the world. This is just the beginning," she said.
The protest was triggered by a social media ban that has since been rolled back, with the violence subsiding only after Oli resigned on Tuesday.
Karki was the preferred choice of the protesters who cite her reputation for honesty and integrity and her stance against corruption.
She held the top judicial post for about a year until mid-2017.
Bipin Adhikari, a constitutional expert and analyst, said Karki's first challenge was to investigate the violence and destruction of public property during the protest and bring those responsible to justice.
"She must provide good governance, control corruption, maintain law and order, assure the people about the security conditions and make policing strong," he said, adding that all these were major challenges.
Nepal has grappled with political and economic turmoil and uncertainty since the abolition of its monarchy in 2008, while a lack of jobs prompts millions to seek work overseas and send money home.
Families are reclaiming the bodies of those killed in the protests, as the country of 30 million people returns to normalcy on Friday, with shops reopening, cars back on roads, and police replacing the guns they wielded earlier this week with batons.
Some roads were still blocked, although fewer soldiers were seen patrolling the streets.
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