Kathmandu — Nepal dissolved its lower house and set a general election for March 5, 2026, hours after President Ramchandra Paudel swore in former chief justice Sushila Karki as interim prime minister to steer the country out of its deadliest unrest in years.
Karki, 73, is the first woman to lead a Nepali government. Her elevation followed a week of youth-led demonstrations that surged after a short social-media ban and culminated in the resignation of KP Sharma Oli. Authorities said at least 51 people were killed and more than 1,300 injured, with families demanding “martyr” status and a clear compensation framework.
By Saturday, curfews were lifted in parts of Kathmandu as shops reopened and traffic returned. The caretaker cabinet’s credibility will hinge on an independent inquiry into the use of force, a transparent relief program for the injured and the bereaved, and a published election timetable that safeguards campaign finance and media access.
Karki’s appointment has already prompted constitutional debate over whether a retired chief justice should lead an interim administration. Supporters say a nonpartisan figure with anti-corruption credentials can restore trust. Critics warn the precedent risks blurring the separation of powers and may outlast the crisis it was meant to resolve.
India moved quickly to welcome the transition, underscoring how closely regional capitals are tracking the Himalayan state. For current context on New Delhi’s defense signaling with Moscow, see our coverage of the Indian contingent at Zapad 2025 drills in Russia, where joint training has been cast as routine even as great-power tensions shift around South Asia.
The week of unrest also exposed deeper economic strains. Since the monarchy’s abolition in 2008, governments have struggled to generate jobs, pushing millions to seek work abroad. Those pressures now intersect with a changing global finance map; our analysis on BRICS-led de-dollarization and Gulf capital explains how investment realignments could shape Nepal’s recovery and the next government’s room to maneuver.
At home, organizers of the youth mobilization say they will monitor police accountability and campaign conditions as the vote approaches. For a ground-level view of how the street movement forced a political reckoning, read our report, Gen Z protests force resignation of Nepal’s KP Sharma Oli, which details the spark, escalation, and demands now shaping the interim cabinet’s agenda.
What happens next will hinge on whether Kathmandu can channel the protests’ anti-corruption energy into institutional reform rather than score-settling. Within hours of Sushila Karki’s swearing-in on Friday, President Ramchandra Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives and set March 5, 2026, for new elections, according to Reuters, and by Saturday authorities had lifted curfews in parts of Kathmandu as shops reopened and traffic resumed. Officials put the death toll at 51 with more than 1,300 injured, while families of the dead pressed for “martyr” status and compensation. If the interim cabinet delivers a credible timetable, protects online speech during the campaign, and provides transparent relief to victims’ families, March 5 could mark a reset rather than a referendum on rage.
