Former PM Sushila Karki Reflects on Leading Nepal Through Crisis and Successful Elections

Kathmandu. Prime Minister Sushila Karki has fulfilled the responsibility of holding the House of Representatives elections on schedule after taking charge during the country's precarious situation.

Amidst doubts about whether the elections would take place, they were peacefully concluded on Falgun 21, the results have been published, and preparations for forming a new government have begun, bringing a sense of satisfaction to Prime Minister Karki. Here is an edited excerpt from the conversation with Prime Minister Karki about the problems and challenges faced while fulfilling the duty of conducting the elections, and her experiences leading the government as a former Chief Justice.

The House of Representatives elections were completed peacefully. As Prime Minister, you led successfully. How are you feeling?

I don't feel anything particularly different. But everyone was worried about the country. Everyone who cares about the country and wishes for its well-being is happy that the elections were held peacefully amidst uncertainty. I am also happy. We were able to complete the responsibility assigned to the government on time. I feel a sense of joy.

You took on the responsibility of the executive head during a difficult time for the country. Since it was the post-Maoist Insurgency situation, there must have been challenges in the initial days. How do you recall those challenges?

There were many challenges when I took the lead. I myself wondered if I could even do the job. The time frame was only six months. Moreover, many people attacked us. Many were skeptical. All the old political parties stood against us. Those claiming to be Maoists immediately told us to leave. They said they had hijacked the Maoist movement. At that time, very few people supported us. Cabinet members worked by consoling each other. Even when meeting representatives from foreign diplomatic missions, questions like 'Is it possible?' were raised. Peace and sympathy did not come from many quarters. We did not have a large base of supporters or organization behind us. We were a limited number of people in the government. There were many attacks during that time. People did not trust us. Furthermore, there were comments suggesting I was a woman. But I heard it with one ear and let it go out the other. I did not leave my work.

In such a difficult situation, where did you find the resolve, courage, and confidence to say, 'I can lead'?

The feeling that I could do it came from deep within. Before becoming Prime Minister, I hadn't estimated it. My body, strength, and power were like that of a 16 to 18-year-old. If one says 'I can't,' high blood pressure can cause a person to 'collapse.' Criticism appeared everywhere in the newspapers. Instead of my blood pressure rising, it kept falling. Even the doctor was surprised. But I don't have a habit of panicking. I have gone through that experience. There is a political value system. People in the judiciary have also gone through hardships. I have faced a difficult situation before. The same feeling existed in the court, but one cannot express it there. Here, one can express it.

Furthermore, I was taught from a young age to 'endure, don't panic.' Since childhood, I believed that if one attempts something with resolve, anything can be achieved. I also had self-confidence. I prayed to God many times. I thought about how there was the Maoist armed conflict, people being killed, and what else would happen. How long will Nepalis sacrifice their lives? I joined my hands and prayed, 'God, please do this much.'

I lack nothing. I became Chief Justice. I became Prime Minister. I have sons and daughters-in-law. I have a grandson. I have a place to live. I am content with everything. I prayed, 'I don't need anything personal now; please grant salvation to the country where I was born and raised, God.' Whatever I asked for, I received. Perhaps my father and mother blessed me from above... I said it wouldn't rain on election day, and it didn't. I said it wouldn't snow, and it didn't. I said this with my self-confidence. Coincidentally, the weather was good. And I thanked nature too.

While leading the country, was there any moment when you felt the most difficult juncture, thinking, 'I can't do this anymore'?

That feeling came repeatedly. The day the parents of the martyrs of the Maoist Insurgency came to Baluwatar and cried, I felt like I was having a heart attack. Newspapers kept saying, 'The government cannot do it.' One Maoist said, 'We should have run the government; why did you run it?' They couldn't say 'I can do it' to the President initially. When the government's term was about to end, they came asking to be made ministers. But I didn't get angry; they are just children.

One or two people even said, 'I will make her fail and become the Prime Minister myself.' The political parties suggested that even if you are the Prime Minister, you should run the government with ministers from the political parties. In this country, the Prime Minister seems to be the biggest thing. For me, it is not that invaluable. Even now, I prefer to be called Chief Justice. I prefer the environment of the judiciary. But people are attracted to the position of Prime Minister. They also said, 'If Sushila can do it, why can't we?' They used abusive language too. They commented on my clothes, my bangles, and how I walked crookedly. No matter how much they criticized, it didn't matter to me. It's their perspective.

From which point did you feel certain that elections would happen?

I was appointed Prime Minister on Bhadra 27. The next day, the 28th, was a Saturday, and from the 29th, the Election Commission started working. Our first priority was the problems of the families of the martyrs of the Maoist Insurgency. We listened to what their families said and acted accordingly. After that, we focused on the elections.

We also requested assistance from neighboring countries for the elections. The police lacked vehicles. We received assistance from friendly nations India and China. We focused our main efforts on the elections. We facilitated everything the Election Commission asked for. We consulted with the President to create a conducive mental environment. 21-22 factions emerged from the Maoist movement. One says one thing, another says something else. The Maoist movement became like a sister organization of a party. Some demanded an executive Prime Minister, some an elected Prime Minister, and some demanded constitutional amendment. They were also demanding things that the constitution does not allow. We couldn't ignore what the Maoists were saying. Political parties said—this government is only to conduct elections. The Maoists said—do all the work; this is a government that came from a rebellion. We felt like we were jumping on a hot plate. We had to endure that situation too.

Amidst various ups and downs, the elections were historically completed peacefully. Don't you feel like you achieved the biggest accomplishment of your life?

I don't feel that way. I took the first-grade exam in life and passed. I took the second-grade exam and passed. While studying, I passed my master's degree. Life keeps presenting exams according to the time. Truly speaking, this was a struggle in life. The country found relief. Initially, the words that came out of my mouth were, 'No one should die in the election. Not a single drop of blood should be shed.' Ultimately, it was that peaceful. I want to thank the general public. The Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, National Investigation Department, Election Police, and all security personnel made a huge contribution to making the election successful in this manner. As Prime Minister, I want to thank them very much.

Who provided what kind of support in making the government and the elections successful?

The main responsibility of the government was to conduct the elections. I want to give 50 percent of the credit for this to the Election Commission. The contribution made under the leadership of Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari and the three commissioners will not be forgotten by history. Although there should be five officials in the commission, the three of them accomplished such a great task. As Prime Minister, I want to thank all three officials and the entire commission. Among the cabinet, I want to thank Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal the most. He has worked day and night. I also thank the other ministers.

Every citizen has an equal contribution to the success of this government. The heads of all four security agencies also played a major role in creating an integrated security plan, implementing it effectively, and bringing the country to this safe landing point.

Two supporting personalities who remained close to me—Press Advisor Ram Bahadur Rawal and Chief Personal Secretary Adarsh Kumar Shrestha—have done favors that I will never forget in my life. Mr. Rawal is not just a journalist; he only has honesty and a feeling of wanting to help people. Chief Personal Secretary Shrestha is a court employee. He is a law student with good knowledge of court procedures and law. He is a person who has worked as the personal assistant to many Chief Justices. He was my personal assistant even when I was Chief Justice. They did the work that 20-25 people in the secretariat would do.

He is a person with long experience working in the court, with good command over IT and law. He has worked as the personal assistant in the secretariat of many Chief Justices and gained everyone's trust. At this age, 75 percent of my success is due to Adarsh. It was possible because of his contribution. Earlier, the Prime Minister's secretariat had 40-50 employees. I want to thank them all profusely.

Furthermore, Nepali Army Captain Balmukunda Bista and Captain Suraj Ojha are extremely knowledgeable. They kept me updated on global matters. Sub-Captain Goma Budhathoki took care of me like a daughter.

There was a controversy regarding the secretariat in between. What exactly happened?

The area where I live is a Newar area. I was receiving help from them in my household management. For the residence at Baluwatar and other personal assistance, I brought some known people from the Newar community. Their work was not any official state business; it was purely to assist me with personal matters. Chief Personal Secretary Adarsh is also a Newar. Later, people started bringing up 'nepotism,' claiming everyone was Adarsh's relative. Those people were not Adarsh's people; they were my people. I did not like that criticism. So, I removed many people, including those who cooked. For a few days, I cooked myself. Then the security personnel also helped. Criticism happens, but it is surprising that previous Prime Ministers kept up to 90 people in their secretariat, and there was no nepotism mentioned. I was forced to do all the work myself at the age of 73. They attacked my secretariat staff because they couldn't attack me directly. But today, I want to thank all of them.

The main challenge initially was to communicate with political parties to hold the elections. How did you face that challenge?

There were 125-130 parties in the country. They have diverse ideologies. Many have good words on their lips but daggers in their pockets. Some run parties alone. Some collect money and move around. There are people of all natures. Some are communists, some are democrats. Some lean towards the former monarchy. No matter who the Prime Minister is, no one says, 'Let's build the country.' There is only the lure of the chair.

Everything cannot be achieved by sitting in the chair. If one wants to build the country, working in one's own field is enough. Even if they do nothing else, if they educate their children well, the family will be built. But only the lure of the chair is visible. I, coming from the legal field, didn't even think I would last six months. We were also abused. We met leaders who abused us very badly. We even heard someone telling the Maoist representatives at the President's office to 'Get out' right then. They said, 'We won't keep you as Prime Minister.' We tolerated the use of 'you' and 'I.' If I had said, 'You told me to leave, and I left,' who would have taken responsibility for the country? I am also a citizen of this country. I love this country. I could not leave.

We met many people from political parties. We held discussions with leaders of major political parties, including the then-President of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda,' leaders of Rastriya Swatantra Party, and all 125 parties. There was such a big movement. We brought the country from that situation to the current one. One IGP scolded me while I was speaking. All this was a struggle.

Old employees and old secretaries were looking for the old parties. New people say new things. Enduring all that, we reached a peaceful situation. Tireless efforts were made for that. I held up to 14 meetings in a single day. We often sat until 2-3 in the morning. Every day, we held five or ten meetings, met people. It was all an effort to create an environment.

Also, the culture was such that everyone had to meet the Prime Minister and take a photo, which we also did. Because we had to create an election environment somehow. Even until 5:00 PM on election day, there was uncertainty about what would happen. We prevented the situation where an attack might occur while voting was underway. Tension was created in some places regarding religious and communal issues. We stopped those too.

The National Investigation Department was rendered useless by keeping it under the Prime Minister. Now, it has been brought under the Home Ministry and made active. The information from the Investigation Department played a significant role in completing these elections and averting many major accidents.

The major political parties even went to the Supreme Court for the reinstatement of the dissolved House of Representatives, didn't they?

The government had to conduct the elections by any means necessary. We held repeated dialogues and discussions with all parties. Work was done to steer the country entirely towards elections. Ultimately, it was successful.

In the elections, new parties have won nearly a two-thirds majority, and established old parties appear weak. How do you interpret this result?

The current vote is the vote of the youth. It is also the effect of the Maoist Insurgency movement. It is also the desire for change. But the old parties should not panic, and the new ones should not be arrogant. What happened was unexpected even for us. I didn't even think Mr. Oli would lose. That was the place where he had been in politics for 30-40 years, where all his well-wishers were. When I met him last, I told Mr. Oli. In politics, what happens is that even my family members are in the Congress party. They criticize the party all year but vote for it when it's time to vote. I told him they would vote for you. I didn't think it would turn out like this. The votes given by the people must be respected. The votes received by the RSP must be respected. Even if the opposition received fewer votes, the RSP must respect that. In politics, until the election, there is this party and that party. After the election, the winner should not neglect the minority. The RSP must respect the old parties. If the ruling party does wrong, the opposition must protest. Politics is social service. In India, Indira Gandhi lost in the same way and won later. The people of Nepal will not forget the mature leaders. Today there is one wave, tomorrow another might come.

What could the current government achieve in establishing good governance and controlling corruption in line with the spirit of the Maoist Insurgency movement on Bhadra 23 and 24?

We tried our best for good governance and corruption control. We did not spend extravagantly like previous governments. I did not take a salary. I live in Baluwatar. That's all. I take nothing. It was necessary to use bulletproof vehicles and helicopters of the Nepali Army for travel abroad. Some ministers also did not take salaries. Some ministers have no other source of income, so they had to take it.

We cut unnecessary expenses. The election cost was only around Rs 32 billion, but that cost also included expenses for police, army, and security materials. Those materials will be useful in the future too. Only essential expenses were incurred. The Election Commission also spent minimally, very frugally. For the National Assembly election, only two crore rupees were spent against an estimate of four crore rupees.

I and some ministers did not even get red passports made. We did not burden the state treasury with foreign travel. We visited some districts to understand the election situation and to encourage the deployed manpower. I believe there was no government in the past that practiced such frugality.

In appointments and promotions in the bureaucracy and security organizations, we considered seniority and capability, leaving no room for manipulation. We worked to boost the long-term morale of those organizations.

We gave due respect to academic institutions like universities. We did not interfere in their appointments. We did not provide a list of our people for appointments and nominations to the senates of 19 universities. Although there were appointments for up to 45 members there, and all of them were from the ruling party. We did not appoint relatives. There were also comments that the heads of security organizations were of the Karki surname. But they are not my relatives named Karki; their lineage might not even match.

In appointing the Chief Secretary, we also considered seniority. Institutions like the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Nepal Police, CIB, etc., have worked with unprecedented professional independence. I highly praise the heads and officials of those institutions.

Officials of the commission formed to investigate the Maoist Insurgency movement also mentioned that they did not have to listen to any lobbying during this government's tenure. We transferred institutions like the Department of Money Laundering Investigation and the Revenue Investigation Department from under the Prime Minister to their respective ministries. The Prime Minister is the Chancellor of 19 universities in the country. We tried to amend this, but it was not possible to bring an ordinance. It should not be given to just anyone. It should be based on expertise.

The investigation commission formed to probe the events of Bhadra 23 and 24 has submitted its report. There are demands for the report to be made public and implemented. What is the government doing about this?

The commission has submitted its report. The cabinet meeting is taking place today. We will discuss it there and make a decision. We don't have much time left. A new mandate has been received. The new government will certainly move the remaining process forward.

A new government is being formed in a few days. What is your message to the new government?

The new government must first fulfill the three demands raised by the Maoist Insurgency: establishing good governance, controlling corruption, and arranging employment. The biggest problem is the lack of employment. Even in existing opportunities, there is nepotism. This situation must be removed, and the economic condition must be improved. Open corruption must be stopped. The biggest reform I see needs to be made inside Singha Durbar. The employees working there seemed to be politicized. While secretaries were spinning files around, they would bring two or three options for their self-interest, but if it was not in their self-interest and was for the country, they would just say it's not possible or not allowed. They would point to the CIAA. If nothing else worked, they would say, 'We will get into controversy, sir.' I found that useless. 75 percent of the impact on the government's work came from there.

No project is completed on time. If one is Nepali, one should feel concerned. Today, I say with sadness, we did not receive any support. But after we inspired them to work with full professional independence, the CIAA has advanced some major cases in the meantime. It has registered 40-45 corruption cases since this government came into power. Otherwise, there was no support from anywhere.

The bureaucracy must be streamlined. I see the need to take a major revolutionary step now for the reform of the bureaucracy. With the current methods, it does not look like a good image will be brought forward.

You have already created history as the first female Prime Minister. What will you do after stepping down from responsibility?

I have completed the work that needed to be done as Prime Minister in a difficult situation. Now I will return to my old private routine.

There is also talk of you becoming President, isn't there?

I have no other desire now. There are many other people more capable and who haven't had the opportunity than me.

Finally, is there anything you must mention about your tenure as Prime Minister?

The government had the responsibility to conduct the elections. That has been fulfilled. Some efforts have also been made in the areas of development. The new government must provide employment to the youth of the country. An environment must be created for them to live in the country. May the situation where people have to return in a coffin after going abroad end. Improvement in education is necessary. An environment of trust in the country must be built. It is a very beautiful country in terms of natural resources. May there be no more conflict and tension. May an environment be created where everyone lives together. 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.

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