Minister Surya Bahadur THAPA, who
served from October 1997 until April 1998, when he resigned as part of
a power-sharing agreement with his coalition partners
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the king on the recommendation of the
prime minister
elections: none; the king is a constitutional monarch; following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a
majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the king

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the National
Council (60 seats; 35 appointed by the House of Representatives, 10 by
the king, and 15 elected by an electoral college; one-third of the
members elected every two years to serve six-year terms) and the House
of Representatives (205 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives-last held 15 November 1994 (next
to be held by 15 November 1999)
election results: House of Representatives-percent of vote by
party-NCP 33%, CPN/UML 31%, NDP 18%, Nepal Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party
3%, NWPP 1%; seats by party - CPN/UML 88, NCP 83, NDP 20, NWPP 4,
Nepal Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party 3, independents 7

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat), chief justice is
appointed by the king on recommendation of the Constitutional Council,
the other judges are appointed by the king on the recommendation of
the Judicial Council

Political parties and leaders: Communist Party of Nepal/United
Marxist-Leninist (CPN/UML), Man Mohan ADHIKARI, party president,
Madhar KUMAR, general secretary; Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Girija
Prasad KOIRALA, party president, Daranath Rana DHATT, general
secretary; National Democratic Party (NDP; also called Rastriya
Prajantra Party or RPP), Surya Bahadur THAPA; Nepal Sadbhavana
(Goodwill) Party, Gajendra Narayan SINGH, president; Nepal Workers and
Peasants Party (NWPP), Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE, party chair

Political pressure groups and leaders: numerous small, left-leaning
student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese
antimonarchist groups

International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFCTU, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
ch