Karki sworn in as interim PM of Nepal

Nepal's President Ram Chandra Paudel has urged all sections of society to ensure smooth and successful election of the new House of Representatives scheduled for March 5, and asked his newly appointed prime minister to oversee the process, local media reported.

The country's former chief justice Sushila Karki took office as prime minister of the interim government at the presidential office on Friday evening, following K.P. Sharma Oli's resignation.

China on Sunday extended congratulations to Karki on becoming prime minister. Noting that China and Nepal share a time-honored friendship, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that China, as always, respects the development path chosen independently by the people of Nepal.

Beijing stands ready to work with Kathmandu to promote the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, enhance exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and further advance bilateral relations, a ministry spokesperson said.

In a statement released on Saturday, President Paudel said, "By making the most of this hard-won opportunity, I sincerely appeal to all to win the trust of the people and help ensure that the elections announced for March 5 are successfully held."

He emphasized that despite the recent protests, "the constitution, parliamentary system and federal democratic republic have been preserved", according to local media outlets.

The death toll from last week's nationwide protests has risen to 72, Nepal's Health Ministry said on Sunday.

On Friday, Nepal's major political parties reached a deal with the groups that launched the protests, resulting in the appointment of Karki, 73, the first and only woman in Nepal to have served as the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

According to the appointment letter read on the occasion, Karki is keeping all the ministries with herself and her interim government is in charge of holding a general election within six months.

Immediately after taking the oath, Karki recommended the dissolution of the House of Representatives, a suggestion the president approved. Although the dissolution drew opposition from some major parties over the weekend, a new general election was set for March 5.

Harish Chandra Shah, president of the Nepal China Cultural and Educational Council, said that with the interim government and upcoming elections, the friendly ties between China and Nepal will "remain unchanged".

"Regardless of changes, the bonds between the two peoples will only strengthen and get tighter as time goes by," he said.

Prakash Pun, president of the Hong Kong-Nepalese Business Association, expressed high hopes that the interim government would ensure good governance and bring positive change to the country and its people.

Looking ahead to the March elections, he said he hoped his homeland would "select the best expertise for the election committee to conduct the election by the given date".

Pun, who is also a tourism promoter for the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of Nepal's government for Hong Kong, said that with protests subsiding, the country's tourism industry is poised for a speedy recovery.

The Hotel Association Nepal said on Friday that the hotel sector suffered losses of about $177 million during recent protests across the country, calling for a relief package as many hotels were struggling to repay lenders.

Nearly two dozen hotels, including both domestic and international brands, suffered extensive damage from vandalism and arson attacks during the nationwide unrest, it said.

Zhou Jin in Beijing and Xinhua contributed to this story.

vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com