Nepal chooses new interim prime minister with help from Discord app

Sushila Karki, Nepal’s new prime minister, assumed office on Sunday. The 73-year-old former chief justice is the country’s first female prime minister. Karki on Sunday said she would hold elections for Parliament and hand over power within six months, according to The Times of India. She would focus on economic stability and ending government corruption, she said.

Karki’s predecessor, Khadga Prasad Oli, resigned last week after days of violent protests from Nepali youth. Tens of thousands of demonstrators stormed and burned government buildings and attacked officials in response to the government’s censorship of social media. About 72 people, including 59 protesters, died. Karki said her government would compensate the families of the dead and pay expenses for those injured, according to The Himalayan Times.

How was Karki chosen for the position? Tens of thousands of young Nepalis joined a chat room on the Discord app, formed by the civic organization group Hami Nepal, The New York Times reported. Nepal’s military asked the group to choose a representative for interim prime minister. They settled on Karki after many discussions and polls in the chat, according to The New York Times.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on the protests.