Nepal PM Karki has made it clear that those people who indulged in violence during 'Gen Z' protest must be punished. She also declared that those murdered in the these protests would be hailed as "martyrs," with the families of the victims to be awarded one million Nepalese rupees as compensation.
73-year-old Karki took the oath of office on September 12, bringing an end to the era of political unrest after the abrupt resignation of the previous prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli. Oli resigned amid protests across the country by the Gen Z movement against a government-ordered ban on social media and corruption charges.
President Ramchandra Paudel on Sunday night appointed three new ministers on the recommendation of Karki—Kulman Ghising, Rameshwor Khanal and Om Prakash Aryal, confirmed sources from the President's Office. They will take oath Monday at the President's Office.
Ghising, erstwhile executive head of the Nepal Electricity Authority, has been assigned the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Urban Development, and the Ministry of Energy. Khanal, erstwhile Finance Secretary, has been appointed Finance Minister, and Aryal, an advocate and anti-corruption activist, took over the Ministry of Law and Home Affairs.
In a first in history, Senior Advocate Sabita Bhandari was also appointed Attorney General, the first woman to be so, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Karki, to whom President Paudel made the appointment after Ramesh Badal resigned. She was previously an information commissioner at the National Information Commission.
The September 9 violent demonstrations destroyed the Prime Minister's Office, and the government decided to shift it to the newly constructed Home Ministry complex in Singhdurbar. Addressing senior secretaries and officials just days after taking office, Karki pledged accountability for the perpetrators of the destruction.
The type of arson and destruction that has been done is a criminal offence. This was done in a well-organised way. These people must be dealt with," she added, underlining that the brutality was "pre-planned" and not perpetrated by Gen Z protestors themselves.
The government assured that the victims of the September 8–9 protests would be remembered as "martyrs," their families being compensated and free medical care assured for those injured. Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal stated Karki decided this immediately after taking office.
Aryal also informed that the number of deaths in the riots had risen to 72, including 59 protesters, three police officers, and 10 inmates.
The demonstrations, which had been initiated on September 7 to protest against the social media blockade, turned into wider demonstrations against the government inspired by outrage at corruption and governmental inaction. Oli stepped down after protesters broke into his office, blaming him for at least 19 deaths in the September 8 police crackdown.
Global reactions came after the appointment of Karki. The UK was committed to inclusive governance, while the US affirmed itself as ready to cooperate with Nepal's interim government to ensure free and fair elections. China, Japan, Pakistan, and Bhutan also congratulated.
China stressed the “time-honoured friendship” between the two neighbouring countries and said, “China, as always, respects the development path chosen independently by the people of Nepal.”
“We stand ready to work with Nepal to promote the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, enhance exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and further advance bilateral relations,” a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a press release in Beijing.
At the same time, the police confirmed that more than 3,700 prisoners who escaped during the protests have been re-arrested. Nepal Police Spokesman and Deputy Inspector General Binod Ghimire stated 3,723 prisoners were re-arrested until Sunday afternoon, while another 10,320 are still on the run. He said some prisoners turned themselves in voluntarily, and Indian authorities helped detain those who tried to escape across the border.
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