Kathmandu (AFP) - Nepal’s new leader vowed Sunday to follow protesters’ demands to “end corruption” as she began work as interim prime minister, after “Gen Z” youth demonstrations ousted her predecessor.

Sushila Karki, the 73-year-old former chief justice, has been tasked with restoring order and addressing protesters’ demands for a corruption-free future ahead of elections in six months.

Protests, sparked by a ban on social media and feeding into long-standing economic woes, began on Monday and quickly escalated, with parliament and key government buildings set ablaze.

“We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” Karki said in her first public comments since taking office on Friday.

A fifth of people in Nepal aged 15-24 are unemployed, according to the World Bank, with GDP per capita standing at just $1,447, in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people.

“What this group is demanding is the end of corruption, good governance and economic equality,” she added.

- ‘From the streets’ -

Karki held a minute’s silence on Sunday for those killed in the unrest, before meetings began in the key government complex of Singha Durbar – where several buildings were set on fire during mass protests on Tuesday.

At least 72 people were killed in two days of protests, and 191 injured, the government’s chief secretary Eaknarayan Aryal said Sunday, increasing an earlier toll of 51.

It was the worst unrest since the end of a decade-long civil war and the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.

The appointment of Karki, known for her independence, came after intense negotiations by army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel and President Ram Chandra Paudel, including with representatives of “Gen Z”, the loose umbrella title of the youth protest movement.

Thousands of young activists had used the Discord app to name Karki as their choice of leader.

“The situation that I have come in, I have not wished to come here. My name was brought from the streets,” Karki said.

Parliament has been dissolved and elections set for March 5, 2026.

“We will not stay here more than six months in any situation, we will complete our responsibilities and pledge to hand over to the next parliament and ministers,” she added, in a speech to the nation.

Ordinary Nepalis said they were hopeful the government would bring change – but were aware the challenges were heavy.

“This government’s list of responsibilities and issues to address isn’t easy,” said grocery shopkeeper Satya Narayan, 69, in Pharping village, about an hour outside the capital.

“It also needs to ensure unity and harmony in the country by taking all sections along”.

- ‘Challenging times’ -

President Paudel, who swore Karki into office, said late Saturday that “a peaceful solution has been found through a difficult process”.

Soldiers have scaled back their presence on the streets, where they had been deployed in large numbers after the protests.

But more than 12,500 prisoners who escaped from jails during the chaos are on the run, and present a daunting security headache.

Regional leaders have congratulated Karki, including Nepal’s two giant neighbours, India and China.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said New Delhi supported “peace, progress and prosperity” in Hindu-majority Nepal, while Beijing’s foreign ministry said it wanted to “push China-Nepal relations steadily forward”.

Buddhism is the country’s second-largest religion, and the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, wished Karki “every success in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of Nepal in these challenging times.”