Nepal’s New PM Names Key Ministers After Deadly Anti-Corruption Protests

Nepal’s new interim prime minister, Sushila Karki, announced her first cabinet appointments on Monday, September 15, following the deadly anti-corruption protests that led to the fall of the previous government.

The swearing-in ceremony, broadcast on national television, took place in front of the fire-damaged presidential office, where President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office to three ministers.

Karki, a 73-year-old former chief justice, faces the challenge of restoring public trust and addressing the demands of demonstrators calling for a corruption-free government ahead of elections scheduled for March.

Om Prakash Aryal, a prominent advocate known for his anti-corruption and human rights work, was appointed Minister of Home Affairs as well as Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs.

Kulman Ghising, credited with ending Nepal’s chronic power shortages as former head of the Nepal Electricity Authority, will oversee energy, infrastructure, transport, and urban development.

Respected economist and former finance secretary Rameshwor Khanal was named Finance Minister, tasked with addressing the unemployment crisis that fueled the protests.

The demonstrations, triggered by a social media ban and worsening economic conditions, erupted on September 8 and escalated into widespread unrest, with parliament and key government buildings set on fire.

Government figures confirm that at least 72 people were k!lled and 191 remain hospitalized, marking Nepal’s worst violence since the end of the civil war and abolition of the monarchy in 2008.