NEPALI PRIME MINISTER THAPA RESIGNS

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000880 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR SA/INS LONDON FOR POL - GURNEY NSC FOR MILLARD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV NP GON SUBJECT: NEPALI PRIME MINISTER THAPA RESIGNS REF: KATHMANDU 845 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (U) At 3:00 p.m. local time Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa announced his resignation in a national radio broadcast. No immediate announcement of a successor has been made. ¶2. (SBU) Comment: A coalition of five democratic parties have held near-daily rallies against Thapa's government since April 1 and have been protesting his appointment by the King as illegitimate since he first took office in June 2003. The parties have been demanding Thapa's resignation as a precondition to beginning talks with King Gyanendra aimed at forming a multi-party government (Reftel). The King has indicated, both directly to the Embassy and through intermediaries, that he was considering a change in government. He had to keep the Thapa government intact, however, long enough to host the Nepal Development Forum May 5-6 . With the Development Forum now safely over, we expect the King to announce a new Prime Minister within the next few days. BOGUE