A recent development has brought to light the unusual circumstances surrounding Sushila Karki’s appointment as Nepal’s interim Prime Minister. The selection process involved the use of a gaming app and social media surveys. Karki’s appointment was decided by only 7713 votes, and the identities of the voters remain undisclosed.
Following KP Sharma Oli’s resignation, a survey was conducted on Discord by Generation Z leaders. The survey included Sushila Karki, along with Dharan’s Mayor Harka Sampang, and Mahabir Pun as potential candidates.
A total of 7713 votes were cast in the Discord poll, with Karki receiving 50 percent of the votes. 3833 people chose Karki as their preferred choice. ‘Random Nepali’ came in second place, referring to any Nepali citizen. Sagar Dhakal secured third position, receiving over 1000 votes.
Harka Sampang, the Mayor of Dharan, ranked fourth, followed by Mahabir Pun in fifth. Using this survey as a basis, representatives from Generation Z negotiated with President Ramchandra Poudel. It is believed that Poudel appointed Karki as interim PM at the suggestion of Generation Z.
The survey has prompted two key questions. Discord, the American gaming company, has 200 million users. Who initiated the poll on Discord and in what capacity?
Another question pertains to the survey participants. Discord does not disclose user locations due to privacy concerns. Were the voters exclusively Nepali citizens, and who were they?
Opposition to Karki has emerged in Nepal, just three days after her appointment. The opposition stems from individuals who were instrumental in her appointment. According to Nepali media, Sudan Gurung and his team have initiated opposition to Karki.
Gurung’s team staged protests outside the Prime Minister’s residence on Sunday and Monday. They accuse Prime Minister Karki of making arbitrary decisions and have opposed Karki’s cabinet expansion plans.