Former Prime Minister of Nepal Sushil Koirala passes away

Former Prime Minister of Nepal and Nepali Congress (NC) President Sushil Koirala passed away due to Pneumonia in capital city Kathmandu. He was 79.
Mr. Koirala was elected as 37th Prime Minister of Nepal from February 10, 2014 till September 2015. He ceased from office of PM after new republic constitution of Nepal was promulgated under his leadership. He had lost election for PM post as per new Constitution to incumbent PM Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli in October 2015.

About Sushil Koirala

• Sushil Koirala was born on 12 August 1939 in Banaras (Uttar Pradesh) in India.
• He had entered politics in 1954 by joining Nepali Congress after he was inspired by party’s the social-democratic ideals.
• Since then he had served in various capacities of the Nepali Congress and was elected as its President in 2010 till his death.
• He belonged to Nepal’s politically prominent Koirala family and his cousins Matrika Prasad Koirala, Girija Prasad Koirala and Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala were the former Prime Ministers of Nepal.
• Following the royal takeover of 1960, he was in political exile for 16 years in India. He also spent 3 years in Indian prisons for his involvement in a plane hijacking in 1973.
• Under his leadership, Nepali Congress had emerged as the largest party in the 2013 Constituent Assembly elections which later played important role in drafting country’s new constitution.
• During his tenure as Prime Minister in June 2015, a historic agreement among 4 major political parties was reached which paved the way for unopposed adaptation of new republic constitution of Nepal.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2016