Laywer, writer and three-time premier

Lokendra Bahadur Shah has finally realised his ambition: he is prime minister of Nepal. For the third time. But this time it is the constitution, not the king, who cleared the way for him.

The 58-year-old Chand strove throughout last year to bring down the government of Sher Bahadur Deuba, in which his Rashtriya Prajatantra Party was a major partner. He actively led two failed no-confidence motions against Deuba.

Chand, who is by training a lawyer, having studied law at the Dav College, Dehradun in India, has presided as the prime minister when the partyless panchayat polity collapsed in Nepal, after the king came under pressure to restore multi-party democracy in Nepal.

The king had appointed Chand as premier earlier too -- in 1983 -- to succeed Surya Bahadur Thapa who was ousted from office shortly after a successful countrywide referendum in favour of the partyless panchayat polity.

Chand, from the far western region of Nepal, was immediately labelled by Thapa ''a lifeless shadow of the royal palace'' and their tussle continues to date. Thapa is the RPP president but Chand is its parliamentary party leader and has continually flouted party directives during the past 28 months of the present Pratinidhi Sabha.

Chand has continuously been elected from the far-western Nepali district of Baitadi bordering Pithoragarh district in Indian Uttar Pradesh. He was first elected to the then Rashtriya Panchayat in 1974, and then re-elected in 1981 and 1986. He was appointed vice-chairman of the Rashtriya Panchayat in 1980 and rose to be the chairman in 1983, when he was appointed prime minister by King Birendra and held office for over two years.

Chand is a prolific writer in Nepali, and his numerous essays, one-act plays and other works, including poetry, are popular among the country’s literati. He has four sons and three daughters.