By Our Political Commentator
First woman Prime Minister Sushila Karki now finds herself at the eye of a political storm. She assumes office at a time of economic disruption, political turmoil, and institutional weakness, placing Nepal’s young constitution under extreme stress. Decades of poor governance and rampant corruption had compromised public institutions and undermined citizen confidence. Karki is now hard pressed to address these anomalies.
During Gen Z uprising, its ferocity unmatched in recent decades, city centers from Mechi to Mahakali experienced unprecedented arson, loot, and infrastructure destruction, surpassing even the worst of Maoist insurgency years. Karki not only inherits the power stemming from Gen Z backing, but also a moral mandate of repairing damages, meting out justice, and initiating rebuilding, all in line with constitutional precepts.
Some quarters reacted against it as too weak in addressing youth concerns, while one group, led by Sudan Gurung, went a step further, calling upon her to resign and challenging her ability regarding the selection of ministers. The pressures highlight Karki’s balancing act: addressing short-term complaints while guiding the country toward stable governance and upcoming March 5th elections.
Accepting premiership for Karki is more due to a feeling of national responsibility rather than personal aspirations. Karki’s long career as a senior judicial officer, ending as Chief Justice, made her a senior custodian of the constitution. Reformer-inclined leaders, such as Gen Z protagonists, recognized her as a person who could hold a divided country, act against corrupt ones strongly, administer law, and preside over free and fair polls. But the problems are gigantic.
The Gen Z unrest of September 8 and 9 left parliament, government secretariat Singh Darbar and other offices, police infrastructure, state records and businesses in ruins. Thousands of inmates escaped during the chaos, adding a layer of security concerns. Rebuilding state capacity while maintaining public order requires precise prioritization and decisive action. Economically, Nepal faces a strained revenue base as commercial sectors, especially tourism sector now lie in tatters after several hotel properties were set ablaze. Restoring public services and infrastructure under these conditions is far more challenging than past crises, including the 2015 earthquake and COVID outbreak.
Karki faces political pressures from the three traditional parties—the Nepali Congress, UML, and Maoist Center. These parties can create obstacles under various pretexts. Eight parties have already asked the government to reinstate the dissolved House of Representatives. They may insist on “further review” for policy moves, subtly stalling initiatives and testing the limits of her authority. Unlike prior leaders who relied on rhetoric, Karki must convert constitutional authority into tangible outcomes, avoiding the pitfalls of partisan interests.
Her inaugural address emphasized rebuilding institutions, taking perpetrators of violence to account, checking corruption, and getting ready for credible polls. Gen Z activists, cognizant of risks that opportunistic political groups pose, are closely observing. They will support only tangible action—rapid punishment of perpetrators of lawlessness, restoring administrative activities, and delivering efficient governance. Karki’s leadership now lies in a meeting of public confidence, institutional knowledge, and generational aspirations.
The mandate upon her is to abide by Gen Z promises to the public- a corruption free Nepal where the rule of law, maintenance of peace and justice are key to achieve success.
Achieving success in the immediate six months by holding elections, trust-building, and containing political opportunism appears very challenging. The vigilance of Gen Z and other reform forces will be ceaseless, yet it also provides her with a chance to demonstrate that effective, accountable leadership can guide the country out of its deepest crises. In a political landscape defined by youth agitation, institutional rot, and old-fashioned parties, Karki’s leadership is the pivot upon which Nepal’s future as a corrupt-free modern democratic and constitutional country hinges.
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