Who is Sushila Karki? Nepal’s first woman Chief Justice backed by Gen Z for PM role

With the Gen Z recommending her name for the Prime Minister position, Karki said that she has accepted the request to take charge as the interim Prime Minister for Nepal.

The Nepali youth's pick for the head of the interim government, Sushila Karki, is known for her staunch stance against corruption. She served as chief justice of Nepal's Supreme Court from July 2016 to June 2017, becoming the first female judge in the country's history. She started as an advocate in the year 1979, in Biratnagar, and since then her verdicts have been commended by the Gen Z, but also questioned by lawmakers.

Karki was born on June 7, 1952, and the eldest sister of seven children. She completed her education in law, including her BA from Mahendra Morang Campus in 1972 from Biratnagar, her MA in political science from Banaras Hindu University in 1975, and her bachelor of laws from Tribhuvan University in 1978. Then, her legal career began from 1979.

She became a senior advocate in 2007, and was appointed as an ad-hoc judge in the Supreme Court in 2009. She became a permanent judge for the institution in 2010.

In 2017, she was suspended for a temporary period after lawmakers from the CPN (Maoist Centre) and Nepali Congress accused her of delivering a reportedly biased judgement, after they filed an impeachment notice against her. It was later withdrawn due to pubic pressure and an interim Supreme Court order that prevented from the Parliament proceedings to take place.

Some of her landmark cases include Prithivi Bahadur Pandey v. Kathmandu District Court, which dealt with printing of polymer bank notes in Australia, and the Om Bhakta Rana v. CIAA/Government of Nepal, tackling corruption during Nepal's peacekeeping missions.

She has also published two books, Kara (a book set in the Biratnagar Jail where she spent some times a prisoner, and explores oppression and difficulties of the Nepali women) and Nyaya (an autobiography).

With people from the Gen Z community recommending her name for the Prime Minister position, after former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday, Karki said on Wednesday, in a round of virtual dialogue, that she has accepted the request to take charge as the interim Prime Minister for Nepal. In an interview with CNN-News18, she verified that the 'boys and girls,' as she called the Gen Z, had voted for her, as she reviewed Nepal's administration through the years.

"There have always been problems in Nepal from the past. The situation is very tough now," she said. Amidst the protests and the curfew, the world remains an onlooker to the country's crossroads. "We will work together for the development of Nepal," she added hopefully. "We will try to establish a new beginning for the country."

As Sushila Karki prepares to bring a new perspective in Nepal's politics, Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah, who was also advocated for by the youth, publicly announced his support for the former chief justice, "I fully support your proposal to lead this interim/electoral government by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki. I would like to sincerely respect your understanding, wisdom, and unity. This shows how mature you are," he shared on a Facebook post.

Along with Shah and Karki, former CEO of Nepal Electricity Board Kulman Ghising's name had also been recommended for the position. The Himalayan Post reported that the Gen Z protestors have named Karki as their sole nominee, with the ongoing discussion yet to finalize aspects of the decision.