To mourn the demise of former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, the government declared a national holiday on Friday (17 April 2015).

Expressing sorrow over the loss of leader Thapa, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav in the condolence message, prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and also extended regards to his family and relatives. “The coordinating role, clear political views, strong willpower and balanced conduct of late Thapa, who dedicated his entire life to the country’s politics, would always be remembered,” the President said in a condolence message issued on Friday (17 April 2015).

The 89-year-old Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman, Thapa, lost his battle with cancer and passed away while receiving treatment at New Delhi-based Medanta Hospital on Wednesday night (15 April 2015).

Thapa had served as Nepal’s prime minister for a record five times—three times during Panchyat regime and twice after the establishment of democracy.