Sher Bahadur Deuba

Sher Bahadur Deuba (Nepali: शेरबहादुर देउवा born June 13, 1946) is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister. He is the second senior most leader of the Nepali Congress. He has twice been elected as the leader of parliamentary party of the Nepali Congress, thus enabling him to be elected twice as the Prime Minister of Nepal.

He has served as the Nepalese Prime Minister three times, from 1995 to 1997, 2001 to 2002, and June 2, 2004 until February 1, 2005.

He was elected as Prime Minister for the second time when he succeeded Girija Prasad Koirala, who resigned in July 2001. A coup d'etat by King Gyanendra removed Deuba in October 2002.

After two other governments, much political protest for his restoration especially in capital Kathmandu, Gyanendra restored Deuba to the position of Prime Minister in 2004.

He was removed on February 1, 2005 by King Gyanendra, who dissolved the government for three years and seized direct power.

He was sentenced to two years in prison in July 2005 under corruption charges, but was subsequently released on February 13, 2006, after the anti-corruption body that sentenced him was outlawed. An official from Deuba's Nepali Congress Democratic Party, Dip Kumar Upadhaya, told the Associated Press that the former premier's release was "a victory for democracy and a humiliating defeat for the royal regime".