The Hindu : International : Nepal Prime Minister resigns

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 08, 2004

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International

Nepal Prime Minister resigns

KATMANDU, MAY 7. Surya Bahadur Thapa, a monarchist throughout his political career, ended his fifth term as Nepal's Prime Minister on Friday the way he began it, surrounded by protests.

Less than a year ago, on June 4, 2003, Mr. Thapa (75) was tapped by King Gyanendra to serve as Prime Minister after street rallies organised by the main political parties had driven his colleague, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, to resign.

Both Mr. Thapa and Mr. Chand are founding members of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, a party loyal to the king.

It was the fifth time Mr. Thapa had been named Prime Minister of the Himalayan nation. Four times he took the post at the behest of a king, once through popular election.

Mr. Thapa had held the post three times under the feudal, village-based political system associated with Nepal's former absolute monarchy.

When democracy was restored in 1990 under King Gyanendra's late brother, King Birendra, Mr. Thapa became Prime Minister at the head of a coalition government that lasted six months.

A dozen years of political feuding, factionalism and repeated elections followed until King Gyanendra dissolved the last elected Parliament and named Mr. Chand as Prime Minister in late 2002.

He resigned after seven months in the face of mass protests.

Mr. Thapa was sworn in at the Narayanhiti royal palace in Katmandu, and made a futile appeal to political parties to cooperate with him and join his Government.

— AP

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