Consensus reached at Sheetal Niwas: Sushila Karki to take oath today after dissolution of House of Representatives

September 12, 2025
vusan
News

“27 Bhadra, Kathmandu — A consensus has been reached to appoint former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the head of government this evening. Following a day-long discussion on Friday, an agreement was also reached to dissolve the House of Representatives

According to a source close to Sheetal Niwas, President Ramchandra Paudel has backed down from his earlier stance that the House of Representatives should only be dissolved after Sushila Karki is appointed to lead the government.

Following warnings from some youth activists threatening to immediately surround Sheetal Niwas with protestors, Paudel reportedly told top leaders of major parties that he could no longer withstand the pressure. He informed them of his decision to dissolve the House and, immediately afterward, swear in Sushila Karki as Prime Minister.

According to sources at Sheetal Niwas, preparations are currently underway to draft the decision for dissolving the House of Representatives and to prepare the appointment letter naming former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as Prime Minister.

Political parties had advised President Ramchandra Paudel to find a way to appoint Karki as Prime Minister from within the existing Parliament. However, Karki—who was proposed as head of government by the Jenji movement—had firmly stated she would not lead a government formed under the current parliamentary framework. Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah also emphasized that the minimum condition for consensus was the dissolution of Parliament.

Talks held at the President’s Office on Thursday night and Friday morning ended without resolution. As no agreement emerged even by afternoon, Chief of Army Staff Ashokraj Sigdel warned that a state of emergency might be necessary to control the escalating situation.

He briefed Karki about the possibility of declaring a state of emergency if a government wasn’t formed by evening. Some top political leaders agreed with this assessment, but second-tier leaders opposed the move, telling Sigdel they would take to the streets if such a situation arose.

Amid intense pressure, a new government is now set to be formed under Karki’s leadership, in line with Jenji’s demands. After discussions at the Nepal Army headquarters on Wednesday, Jenji representatives proposed Karki as interim head of government. General Sigdel conveyed this message to President Paudel, who then began consulting party leaders late Thursday to build political consensus for the new government.

During these consultations, leaders from Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and the Maoist Centre agreed to appoint Sushila Karki as head of government, respecting the mandate of the Jenji movement. However, most party leaders insisted that her role should be framed within constitutional and parliamentary norms.

On Thursday evening, Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) arrived at Sheetal Niwas at the President’s invitation, accompanied by Deputy General Secretary Barshaman Pun.

Following their arrival, the President’s Office summoned Nepali Congress Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka and General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma. Called in at 11 PM, they shared their party’s stance via telephone from separate locations.

During these exchanges, parties expressed readiness to support the formation of a new government in line with the spirit of the Jenji movement. However, they emphasized the need to find a path forward without dissolving Parliament. This disagreement prolonged the government formation process.