Surya Bahadur Thapa

Surya Bahadur Thapa
सूर्य बहादुर थापा
Surya Bahadur Thapa at his residence in 2005.
24th Prime Minister of Nepal
In office June 5, 2003 – June 4, 2004
Monarch	King Gyanendra
Preceded by	Lokendra Bahadur Chand
Succeeded by	Sher Bahadur Deuba
In office October 7, 1997 – April 15, 1998
Monarch	King Birendra
Preceded by	Lokendra Bahadur Chand
Succeeded by	Girija Prasad Koirala
In office May 30, 1979 – July 12, 1983
Monarch	King Birendra
Preceded by	Kirti Nidhi Bista
Succeeded by	Lokendra Bahadur Chand
In office January 26, 1965 – April 7, 1969
Monarch	King Mahendra
Preceded by	Tulsi Giri
Succeeded by	Kirti Nidhi Bista
In office December 23, 1963 – February 26, 1964
Monarch	King Mahendra
Preceded by	Tulsi Giri
Succeeded by	Tulsi Giri
In office 11 April 1955 – 14 April 1955
Monarch	King Tribhuvan
Preceded by	Matrika Prasad Koirala
Succeeded by	Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah
3rd Speaker of the Pratinidhi Sabha
In office 1962–1963
Monarch	King Birendra
Preceded by	Bal Chandra Sharma
Succeeded by	Bishwa Bandhu Thapa
Personal details
Born	(1928-03-21)21 March 1928[1] Muga, Kingdom of Nepal
Died	15 April 2015(2015-04-15) (aged 87) Delhi, India
Political party	Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Rastriya Janashakti Party
Alma mater	Ewing Christian College, 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.

Thapa was selected as a member of advisory council in 1958 and was elected as the chairperson. Later he was appointed to the Upper house in 1959 and was appointed to the chair of the Council of Ministers from 1963 to 1964. 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.^[2]

Surya Bahadur 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.