Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki sworn in as interim Prime Minister of Nepal

Kathmandu: Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki took oath as Nepal’s first woman prime minister on Friday, to lead an interim government, ending days of political uncertainty after the abrupt resignation of prime minister K P Sharma Oli earlier this week following wide-spread protests.

President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office to Karki, 73, at the President’s Office.

Besides President Paudel and the newly-elected prime minister, Vice President Ram Sahay Yadav and Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Rawat were present during the occasion.

President Paudel said the new caretaker government is mandated to hold fresh parliamentary elections within six months.

Earlier, after hectic consultations and negotiations among various stakeholders Karki's name was announced as the head of the caretaker government.

Karki was chosen to lead the interim government after a meeting between President Paudel, Nepal's top military brass, and the youth protesters, who spearheaded the anti-government protests

A meeting held between President Paudel, the Nepal Army chief and representatives of the 'Gen Z' protesters agreed on Karki's name to head the interim government.

Soon after taking oath, Karki will form a small cabinet and at its first meeting of the cabinet, she is likely to recommend to the president dissolution of the Parliament as per an understanding reached among various stakeholders, sources said.

President Paudel also consulted leaders of all major political parties, legal experts and civil society leaders separately before deciding to appoint Karki as the caretaker prime minister.

Oli quit on Tuesday following the violent youth-led agitation.

The major demands by the Gen Z protesters included checking corruption, ending political disorder, and nepotism, and lifting a ban on the social media sites. That ban was lifted on Monday night.

Earlier on Friday, Speaker of Nepal's House of Representatives Devaraj Ghimire and Chairman of the National Assembly Narayan Dahal called for resolving the ongoing political deadlock "within the framework of the Constitution."

"The rule of law and constitutionalism must not be bypassed," said a joint statement, issued after a meeting between Ghimire and Dahal.

They also urged all parties to address the demands of protesters and commit to a stronger, more prosperous democracy.

"We are confident that we must not stray from the rule of law and constitutionalism," they said, stressing that the ongoing process to form a citizen-led government should address the protesters' demands while ensuring that democracy grows stronger and more resilient."

Latest data from Nepal police said that at least 51 people, including an Indian national, died in the 'Gen Z'-led violent protests.

Senior Superintendent of Police Ramesh Thapa, who is co-spokesperson for Nepal police, said the casualties include one Indian national and three policemen, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported.

Soon after taking control of the law and order situation after the collapse of the government, the Army had issued prohibitory orders.

The Army on Thursday extended prohibitory orders in three districts of Kathmandu Valley while allowing public movement during specific windows, as the Himalayan nation gradually returned to normalcy.

Meanwhile, the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) on Friday said Nepal's hotel industry, a vital revenue earner of its tourism-driven economy, has suffered a loss of over 25 billion Nepalese rupees after nearly two dozen hotels across the country were vandalised, looted or torched during the student-led anti-government protests.

Among the worst hit is the Hilton Hotel in Kathmandu, which alone reported damages exceeding Rs 8 billion, My Republica news portal reported, quoting a HAN statement.

Nepalese authorities announced temporary measures to facilitate foreign nationals stranded in the country due to the ongoing curfew in the Kathmandu Valley.

According to Immigration officials, international travellers whose visas were valid through September 8 can now obtain exit permits and regularise their visas without paying additional fees, The Himalayan Times reported.