Surya Bahadur Thapa

Prime Minister of Nepal

21 March 1928 Muga, Kingdom of Nepal

15 April 2015(2015-04-15) (87) Delhi, India

June 5, 2003 – June 4, 2004

Former Prime Minister of Nepal who held the office for 5 times under three different kings Surya Bahadur Thapa (Nepali: सूर्य बहादुर थापा ; March 21, 1928 – April 15, 2015) was the only Nepali politician a five-time Prime Minister of Nepal. He served under three different kings in a political career lasting more than 50 years. He started as a little known 4-day-flop as acting PM in 1955 but was widely respected and well liked. Then 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.