Nepal appoints first female PM in wake of deadly protests

Nepal’s former Chief Justice Sushila Karki has been named the country’s interim prime minister following deadly protests this week that killed at least 51 people, injured more than 1,300, and led to the escape of thousands of prisoners.

On Friday, President Ramchandra Paudel’s office announced the appointment of Karki, the country’s first female head of government. The 73-year-old, the only woman to have served as chief justice of Nepal’s Supreme Court, was set to be sworn in late Friday.

Police spokesperson Binod Ghimire said on Friday that those killed so far this week included 21 protesters, nine prisoners, three police officers and 18 others, without elaborating. Another 1,300 people were injured as police fought to control crowds.

Ghimire added that more than 12,500 prisoners who escaped from multiple jails countrywide remain on the run. “About 13,500 prisoners had escaped — some have been recaptured, 12,533 are still at large.”

The dead included prisoners killed during or after their escape in clashes with Nepalese security forces.

Some of the fugitives have reportedly tried to cross into India, where scores have been apprehended by Indian border forces.

Nepal’s army, which has imposed a curfew, said that it had recovered more than 100 guns looted in the turmoil, with some protesters seen brandishing automatic rifles.

“They [Gen Z] want [Karki]. This will happen today,” a constitutional expert consulted by Paudel and Sigdel, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters news agency before the announcement.

Karki is “seen as an anticorruption voice, so she’s acceptable to a lot of the Gen Z groups that have been firing up this movement, because corruption has been a big issue,” said Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride, reporting from the capital Kathmandu.

“But while she’s popular with them, she’s not necessarily popular with other groups … so she’s seen as a consensus candidate.”

Karki is “seen as an anticorruption voice, so she’s acceptable to a lot of the Gen Z groups that have been firing up this movement, because corruption has been a big issue,” said Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride, reporting from the capital Kathmandu.

“But while she’s popular with them, she’s not necessarily popular with other groups … so she’s seen as a consensus candidate.”