Discord Votes Propel Sushila Karki as Nepal’s First Woman Prime Minister

Discord’s Role: Influence, Not Formal Ballot

Nepal’s first female prime minister, 73-year-old former chief justice Sushila Karki, was sworn in on 12 September, after weeks of youth-led protests forced the resignation of former PM K.P. Sharma Oli.

U.S. Embassy Kathmandu, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

While some international coverage highlighted Discord as the “ballot box,” the reality is more nuanced. Protest groups did hold informal polls on large servers — one reportedly hosting over 130,000 members — and Karki emerged as a consensus choice among young activists.

23-year-old Sid Ghimiri, one of the protesters who participated in the online vote said, “The parliament of Nepal right now is Discord.” Participants on Discord Youth Against Corruption server cast over 7,700 votes before Karki reached majority support.

However, her appointment came through formal negotiations with President Ram Chandra Paudel, political leaders, and the Army Chief, not just via a binding online vote.

Who Is Sushila Karki?

Karki is no stranger to firsts. She was Nepal’s first female chief justice and has now become its first female prime minister. During her tenure on the Supreme Court, she presided over landmark rulings, including the conviction of a sitting communications minister on corruption charges and the reversal of a controversial police chief appointment.

Her judicial career was not without turbulence. In 2017, lawmakers filed an impeachment motion against her, accusing her of bias.

Photo Courtesy of Nepal Television via Facebook

Public protests erupted in her defense, ultimately forcing parliament to withdraw the motion. This episode bolstered her image as a figure who stood firm against political pressure.

Beyond her courtroom achievements, Karki has a history of activism. She and her husband, Durga Prasad Subedi, were both jailed during the 1990s pro-democracy movement that ended absolute monarchy. She later chronicled that experience in her novel Kara.

Karki’s Message to the Nation

In her first public address as interim leader, Karki struck a conciliatory tone while acknowledging the anger that fueled the protests. “We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” she said. She pledged to prioritize the movement’s demands — ending corruption, promoting good governance, and pushing for greater economic equality.

She dissolved parliament and announced fresh elections for 5 March 2026, promising not to stay in office beyond six months. To grieving families, she offered state compensation for relatives killed during the protests, in which at least 72 people died and more than 1,300 were injured.

Karki admitted she had not sought the role but accepted it as a duty. “My name was brought from the streets,” she remarked, underscoring her unusual path to power.

A Country in Recovery

Several weeks of deadly unrest have shaken the country of Nepal. The demonstrations started as an anti-corruption movement following a sweeping ban on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and a host of other social media platforms. Protesters captured government buildings, set ablaze the Singha Durbar administrative complex, and vandalized the houses of prominent politicians.

Under pressure, Oli’s government crashed, with the military gaining brief control of Kathmandu to restore order. Though curfews have been lifted since then, and banks and courts are opening up in the capital, scars will remain. Amnesty International has called on authorities to look into the circumstances wherein security forces opened live ammo on protesters, citing this incident as a “turning point” for Nepal’s fledgling democracy.

As the country begins to rebuild, Karki’s leadership is an opportunity for Nepal to shape a stronger political accord. Her interim government carries the hopes of a new generation, with the potential to lay the foundation for lasting change.

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