Karki arriving at the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel to attend Constitution Day celebrations.-Reuters
THE interim prime minister has pledged to fight corruption, create jobs and raise living standards in her first public comments since coming to office after youth-led protests toppled the government.
Sushila Karki said the protests – that left at least 72 people dead and forced her predecessor KP Sharma Oli to quit – had been triggered by frustration over growing corruption and other failings.
Authorities have said more than 2,100 people were injured in the unrest that raged for two days last week. Arson and vandalism caused extensive damage to private and public property, including the complex housing the prime minister’s office, the Supreme Court and the parliament.
“We must accept the fact that the protests took place because of the failure to fulfil the spirit and objectives of providing good governance and prosperity enshrined in the constitution,” Karki said.
She spoke on Nepal’s national day, marking the 10th anniversary of the proclamation of the constitution.
The former Supreme Court chief justice was appointed to the post last week following talks between representatives of the protesters, the president and the army chief.
Karki – the first woman to lead Nepal – was tasked with holding parliamentary elections on March 5. She said the government was committed to creating employment, raising the quality of life and increasing transparency in its work.
Workers using a crane to remove a vehicle burnt during recent protests outside the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation in Kathmandu. -Reuters
Losses from the damage could reach US$1bil to US$1.5bil (RM4.2bil to RM6.3bil), Kulman Ghising, minister for energy, physical infrastructure, transport and urban development, said.
Ghising visited some public buildings set ablaze in the capital, Kathmandu, and appealed to Nepalis at home and abroad to contribute to the reconstruction.
A Supreme Court official said some hearings were taking place in tents, as most court structures, documents and IT systems were destroyed during the unrest.
Police spokesperson Binod Ghimire said officers had received more than 30,000 e-mails after asking the public to send in videos, photographs and other documents to help them investigate the violence.
The unrest has heightened risks to Nepal’s economic and fiscal outlook and may pressure its credit metrics, rating firm Fitch said on Friday.
Meanwhile, deposed prime minister Oli said on Friday that his government did not order police to open fire on protesters and called for a probe into violence that killed at least 73 people.
In his first statement since stepping down last Tuesday, the 73-year-old said “infiltrators” were responsible for inciting bloodshed during youth-led protests that swept the nation beginning Sept 8.
A man lighting candles beside the words ‘Long live martyrs’ during a silent tribute on the National Day of Mourning, held at Maitighar Mandala in Kathmandu to honour those killed in recent clashes.-AFP
The demonstrations were sparked by a short-lived ban on social media but fuelled by anger at corruption and long-standing economic woes.
At least 19 people were killed in a crackdown on the first day.
“Those who infiltrated (the protests) incited violence, resulting in the tragic loss of young lives,” Oli said in a post in Nepali on Facebook.
“The government did not issue orders to target the protesters and fire shots,” Oli said, as the country marked its constitution day on Friday. — Agencies
