Nepal Receives First-Ever Female Prime Minister After Settlement of Violent Unrest

Nepal now has their first-ever female prime minister after days of extremely violent unrest from the young generation across the country, sending major buildings up in flames.

The unrest began on Monday after the country's government banned all forms of social media, including the likes of YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Whatsapp, after they did not meet a deadline to register with Nepal's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. To back up their decision, the government also confirmed the ban as an attempt to combat fake news and hate speech online. However, the plan dramatically backfired, outraging thousands of students and younger adults across the country who believed that it limited their free speech.

Meanwhile, several stories had also been trending on social media regarding the topic of corruption among various politicians within the Nepali government. This led many to believe that the misinformation prevention campaign was simply a cover for the real purpose of the initiative: to stop Nepali citizens from learning about the corruption interwoven into their government.

Massive anti-corruption protests ensued, with thousands of students taking to the streets and storming Parliament. After an emergency meeting on the same day, the government quickly revoked the ban, but protests continued. The ban was simply the catalyst that set off a ticking time bomb, and citizens across Nepal utilized this opportunity to express their displeasure with the suspected corruption in their government.

The protests quickly shifted from focusing on the social media ban to encompassing the topic of corruption as a whole, and the situation rapidly escalated into an extremely violent conflict. Protestors threw stones at now-former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's house and later set it on fire, leading to his resignation. Various other governmental offices and the homes of many politicians were also attacked and burned, leading to chaos across the country. The Nepali Parliament building was also set ablaze, along with the headquarters for the incumbent Nepali Congress Party.

With no particular goal in mind, the protestors continued to burn government-related buildings as part of their wider demonstration against corruption, and they were angered further after facing violence from authorities. At least 19 protestors were killed on Monday alone after police fired rounds of live ammunition as a way to defend against the mobs– by September 12, the death toll had risen to 51.

Now, as the protests have cooled off slightly, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki has taken the position of interim prime minister until the country's elections, which will likely be organized within the next 6-8 months. During that time period, Karki will work to use her popularity among the young population of Nepal to gain support and quell any remaining unrest– as a former Chief Justice, she takes an extremely hardline stance against corruption, which is exactly the kind of leader that Nepal needs right now.

She is also the country's first-ever female prime minister, marking a significant step forward in the Nepali government's approach towards gender equality– another important concept that remains crucial to younger generations' thought processes.

However, it will be difficult. Parliament and most other government buildings have been largely destroyed, leaving the Nepali government without a designated center to convene, and she will still need to determine her cabinet and advisors before truly assuming office and ensuring a safe transfer of power to the winning candidates of next year's elections.

Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Times Square was originally called Longacre Square until it was renamed in 1904 after The New York Times moved its headquarters to the then-newly built Times Building.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. (Benjamin Franklin)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Flummox (verb, FLUM-uks) - To flummox someone is to confuse or perplex them.

In a Sentence: The actor was easily flummoxed by last-minute changes to the script.

Image credit to Press Trust of India