Surya Bahadur Thapa
| Surya Bahadur Thapa | |
|---|---|
| सूर्य बहादुर थापा | |
Surya Bahadur Thapa at his residence in 2005.
|
|
| 25th Prime Minister of Nepal | |
|
In office June 5, 2003 – June 3, 2004 |
|
| Monarch | Gyanendra |
| Preceded by | Lokendra Bahadur Chand |
| Succeeded by | Sher Bahadur Deuba |
|
In office October 7, 1997 – April 15, 1998 |
|
| Monarch | Birendra |
| Preceded by | Lokendra Bahadur Chand |
| Succeeded by | Girija Prasad Koirala |
|
In office May 30, 1979 – July 12, 1983 |
|
| Monarch | Birendra |
| Preceded by | Kirti Nidhi Bista |
| Succeeded by | Lokendra Bahadur Chand |
|
In office January 26, 1965 – April 7, 1969 |
|
| Monarch | Birendra |
| Preceded by | Tulsi Giri |
| Succeeded by | Kirti Nidhi Bista |
|
In office December 23, 1963 – February 26, 1964 |
|
| Preceded by | Tulsi Giri |
| Succeeded by | Tulsi Giri |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
21 March 1928 Muga, Dhankuta, Nepal |
| Died | 15 April 2015 (aged 87) Delhi, India |
| Political party | Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Rastriya Janashakti Party |
| Alma mater | Allahabad University |
Surya Bahadur Thapa (Nepali: सूर्य बहादुर थापा; March 21, 1928 – April 15, 2015) was a Nepali politician and a five-time Prime Minister of Nepal. He served under three different kings in a political career lasting more than 50 years.
He was elected to the Upper house in 1959 and was appointed to the chair of the Council of Ministers from 1963–64. He went on to serve four further terms: 1965–69, 1979–83, 1997–98, and again in 2003 before leaving his Rastriya Prajatantra Party in November 2004.
Surya Thapa was the first Prime Minister under the Panchayat System of Nepal. In his later years, he was the leader of Rastriya Janashakti Party. He died on 15 April 2015 from respiratory failure while undergoing surgery.
Surya Bahadur Thapa was born on March 21, 1928, in the village of Muga in Dhankuta district. He began his political career in the underground student movement in 1950. In November 1958, he was elected to the national assembly as an independent, and became Chairman of the Advisory Council. In 1959, Thapa was elected to the Upper House. He was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Forest and Industry under the newly formed Panchayat system. Subsequently, he served as Member of National Legislature and Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs.
Despite not even standing for election in 1963, Thapa was nominated to the National Panchyat by King Mahendra and was appointed chair of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Finance, Law, Justice and General Administration. During this period he was instrumental in abolishing "Land-Birta-System" and set strategies to promote land reform by consolidating tenancy rights of the tenants. Thapa was responsible for "Muluki-Ain", through which he attempted to eradicate the practice of an untouchable caste and promote women's suffrage, among other social activism.
In 1966, Thapa was again appointed Prime Minister under the modified Constitution of Nepal. He was responsible for expanding the coverage of the constitution of 1962, and promulgated its second amendment to make it "people oriented". In 1967, Thapa tendered his resignation, saying that the long tenure of one prime minister was undemocratic in the development of the country.
...
Wikipedia