Rabindra Kattel
Kathmandu- After days of political deadlock, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki has agreed to take office as Prime Minister with her first cabinet meeting set to recommend the dissolution of the House of Representatives.
The breakthrough came on Friday following day-long discussions at the President’s Office, Sheetal Niwas. Until now, the process had stalled over whether parliament should be dissolved before or after Karki’s appointment.
Karki had earlier refused to accept the premiership unless parliament was dissolved in advance. Gen-Z youth activists, who put forward her name, and Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah also pressed for the same demand. On Tuesday night, Shah reiterated on social media that an interim government must begin with the dissolution of parliament.
During the talks, President Ram Chandra Paudel proposed a compromise: Karki would first be sworn in as Prime Minister, then immediately convene her cabinet to recommend dissolution and set an election date—steps he pledged to endorse. He also assured that political party leaders had already been consulted to prepare the ground.
The Nepal Army, deployed on the streets since the Gen-Z protests, added pressure by warning it could not remain mobilized without a constitutional mandate. This prompted Karki to soften her stance. Lawyer Om Prakash Aryal, a close ally and legal advisor to Kathmandu Metropolitan City, played a key mediating role during the negotiations.
Under the deal, Karki will take her oath at 9 PM tonight, after which her cabinet will hold its first meeting to formally recommend the dissolution of the House. President Paudel is expected to immediately approve the recommendation.
Karki’s interim government will focus primarily on conducting elections. It will also investigate corruption, scrutinize the assets of political leaders, and launch an inquiry into the deaths and incidents during the Gen-Z protests of September 8–9.
२७ भदौ २०८२, शुक्रबार ०८:५५ मा प्रकाशित
