Mahat, 53, was admitted to the hospital after he suffered a brain hemorrhage at his home district in Jumla on Monday. He is survived by his wife and a daughter. [break]"Mahat was a leading and popular communist leader in the entire Karnali Zone," said CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal in his condolence message.
Mahat, who served as the minister of state for peace and reconstruction in the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led government two years ago, joined the CPN-UML in 1994 and was the party´s Karnali in-charge.
UML leaders pay their last respects.
"A simple, polite and gentle leader, Mahat unflinchingly served the party and the country even during difficult times. He was an exemplary leader," said Khanal.
Prior to joining the CPN-UML, Mahat was a leader of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and was elected Member of Parliament from Jumla from the same party. He joined politics as a student leader in 1974.
CPN-UML decided to lower the party flag half-mast and not to hold any formal events for three days following Mahat´s death.
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