Who Is Sushila Karki? Ex-Chief Justice Picked By GenZ To Lead Nepal's Interim Government

Nepal's GenZ protesters on Wednesday picked former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the interim head of government after the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Karki was Nepal's first women chief justice and is expected to steer the country through the ongoing crisis.

The protesters, comprising mostly of youth, have been campaigning against corruption for some time. Their main demands included the resignation of Oli, the formation of a national government, and strict action against corrupt politicians.

After the agitation escalated this week, Oli submitted his resignation, along with most other ministers in his government. Nepal's President also marked his exit amid the mounting pressure.

Karki is now expected to lead the interim government in Nepal, till a new government is formally appointed.

Born in Biratnagar on June 7,1952, Karki went on to get a degree in political science and law. She had a long career in advocacy and legal reform that began when she was an advocate in Biratnagar in 1979. She later went on to become the first female Chief Justice on July 11, 2016.

During her tenure in the Supreme Court Bench, she has presided over cases like electoral disputes and cases that involved transitional justice. She is known for several landmark orders that also include the jailing Jaya Prakash Gupta a sitting minister for corruption.

She has delivered landmark ruling that significantly advanced women's rights in the country. In one of her cases, she ruled that Nepali women could pass citizenship to their children, a right which was initially only offered to the men of the country.

To the people of the country, she is considered a crusader against corruption and a fearless judge known for her integrity and independence.

Interestingly, it was the KP Oli-led constitutional council that had recommended her as the chief justice of Nepal Supreme Court.