Nepalese President Ram Chandra Poudel has agreed to name lawyer Sushila Karki, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, as the head of the interim government. The president agreed after increasing public pressure, with protesters supporting Karki as the leading candidate for the prime minister’s position.
Sushila Karki, a long-time anti-corruption activist, will head the Nepalese government until the next elections, which are expected to be announced within six months to a year. It will be a historic moment for the 73-year-old lawyer: not only was she the first and still only woman to be Chief Justice, but she will now become the first woman to head the government of the country.
In addition, President Poudel has also signed into law the dissolution of the House of Representatives, the lower house of Parliament in Nepal, and declaration of a state of emergency. These are to stabilize the politics of the country and set the stage for the upcoming elections, experts say.
