𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦: "Gen Z Elevates Karki as Nepal’s first woman Prime Minister in fight against corruption” by Jhaebilyn Pallorina

Layout by: Paul Quijano

Published by: Keshia Gwyneth Esposa

Date Published: September 18, 2025

Time Published: 10:32 AM 

After deadly youth-led protests against corruption and nepotism, Nepal's former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki was appointed as the first female Prime Minister of the interim government in Nepal on September 12, 2025.

After historic weeks of Gen Z–led protests against alleged corruption and nepotism by political elites—storming parliament, setting politicians’ residences and government buildings ablaze, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was forced to step down.

Despite Oli banning all major social media platforms, young protesters flocked to Discord, where they held an informal vote to select Karki as Prime Minister and even cast votes on who should lead the country next.

The “Youth Against Corruption” server in the application Discord quickly ballooned to more than 130,000 members and hosted multiple polls over the past week.

Nearly 80,000 young Nepalese took part in Discord polls, requiring them to use their national ID cards to prevent fake votes, and overwhelmingly chose Karki as Prime Minister, a symbolic act of digital democracy that highlighted the public's demand for honest, clean leadership and rattled the country’s political elite.

Hours after appointing Karki as the new head of government, President Ramchandra Paudel announced that the 275-seat parliament had been dissolved and confirmed that elections fixed by Karki will be held on March 5, 2026.

After the government fell, the only institution left standing was the Nepali Army, which imposed a nationwide curfew and set up checkpoints across major cities to maintain order.

According to police, at least 51 people—including 21 protesters, nine prisoners, three police officers, and 18 others—were killed in protests since Monday. About 1,000 prisoners who escaped from different jails were recaptured, while over 12,500 remain on the loose.

The anger of the Nepalese also stems from economic malaise, with Gen Z frustrated that the country lacks employment opportunities—forcing many Nepalese to seek work abroad—while political leaders and their children flaunt their luxuries.

REFERENCES :

1. [1] Al Jazeera. (2025, September 13). Nepal sets March 5 vote, restrictions eased as interim gov’t takes charge. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/13/nepal-sets-march-5-vote-restrictions-eased-as-interim-govt-takes-charge 

2. [2] BBC. (2025, September 12). Nepal gets first female PM after deadly unrest. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c179qne0zw0o 

3. [3] The New York Times. (2025, September 13). Nepal government politics election protest. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/world/asia/nepal-government-politics-election-protest.html

4. [4] The Guardian. (2025, September 12). Nepal appoints its first female PM after historic week of deadly protests. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/12/nepal-appoints-its-first-female-pm-after-historic-week-of-deadly-protests?fbclid=IwdGRjcAMyYIJjbGNrAzJgeWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEe3uVxWn9IBUNdFPxqYqefdhBbJ0GeDleJBXgBiWbnsErWObI-xFAp6w6uxHk_aem_69FvLDzDPxK0Mb4QmjzT4g