Kathmandu, March 15 Outgoing interim government head Sushila Karki said on Sunday that she never expected four-time prime minister K P Sharma Oli to lose the general elections.
The election results reflect the influence of young voters and the demand for change, as a result of the Gen-Z movement, Karki said in an interview with the state-run news agency, the Rashtriya Samachar Samiti.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), with former Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, aged 35, as its prime ministerial candidate, won 182 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives (HoR). This includes 57 seats under proportional representation (PR), after winning in 125 constituencies through direct voting that took place on March 5.
Karki had taken over as the interim prime minister days after the Oli-led coalition government was ousted following violent protests by Gen Z groups across the country over the issue of corruption and a ban on social media in September last year.
Stating that she was happy that the House of Representatives election could be held on time, Karki said, “We were able to fulfill the responsibility assigned to the government on time. It feels like a joy.”
Karki said she never imagined that Oli, the chair of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) -- CPN-(UML) -- would lose in the March 5 polls.
RSP's Balen had defeated Oli in the former prime minister's stronghold Jhapa-5 constituency in eastern Nepal with a massive margin of over 50,000 votes.
Stating that she was surprised by the result, Karki noted that Oli had long maintained a strong political base in the area. “Oli has been active in politics there for 30–40 years. It is his support base and stronghold, so I never imagined he would lose,” Karki was quoted as saying by Khabarhub newsportal.
The election results clearly reflect the influence of young voters and the demand for change, she said and described the outcome as an effect of the Gen-Z movement and a rising youth wave in politics.
Emphasizing democratic values, Karki said all political parties must respect the people’s mandate and that the winning side should not ignore those in the minority.
In reply to another question, she said, “I understood that Balen's election campaign sent a message that the Terai, hills, and mountains are united. I also have faith in Balen.”
“I hope something good will happen,” newsportal Ratopati quoted her as saying in the RSS interview.
Looking back at her journey as the interim prime minister, she said, “Honestly speaking, it was a tough journey. At first, I declared, 'No one should lose their life during an election. Not a single drop of blood should be spilled.' Finally, it turned out to be peaceful.”
Karki also admitted that initially, the main challenge in conducting the elections was to hold dialogue with different political parties. She reached out to the leaders of all the traditional, legacy parties of Nepal and also representatives of other smaller, regional outfits, numbering about 125.
Karki had a few words of advice for the new government as she said, it should provide employment to youths and create an environment for all Nepalis to stay within the country; reform the education sector, and “an environment of trust towards the country should be built.”
“Nepal is very beautiful in view of natural resources,” she said. “Now, the country does not need conflict and tension.”