By Gopal Sharma
KATHMANDU (Reuters) – Nepal’s interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Friday pledged to fight corruption, create jobs and raise living standards after a deadly wave of youth-led protests earlier this month toppled the prior government.
“The protests reflect the aspirations of the young generation, a growing level of popular awareness and dissatisfaction over the rising corruption,” Karki said on Nepal’s national day that marks the promulgation of the current constitution 10 years ago.
“We must accept the fact that the protests took place because of the failure to fulfill the spirit and objectives of providing good governance and prosperity enshrined in the constitution,” she said.
Karki’s comments were her first public remarks since she was appointed to the post last week and tasked with holding parliamentary elections on March 5. A former Supreme Court chief justice, Karki is the only woman to have held that post and is also the first woman to lead Nepal.
The violent protests, led by young Nepalis and dubbed by organisers as “demonstrations by Gen Z”, killed 72 people and forced Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to quit.
More than 2,100 people were injured as arson and vandalism caused extensive damage to public property, including the main office complex which houses the prime minister’s office, the Supreme Court and the parliament building, as well as private property including luxury hotels.
The government is committed to creating employment opportunities, raising quality of life, transparency in government work, corruption control and development, she said.
Karki, 73, who was backed by Gen Z representatives for the job because of her personal commitment to fight corruption and to the rule of law, said she was committed to holding elections on time.
She has named three ministers with reformist credentials to her interim government.
(Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by YP Rajesh and Sharon Singleton)
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