Rastriya Swatantra Party set for first general convention in Bharatpur

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has completed preparations for its first general convention in Bharatpur, Chitwan. RSP spokesperson Manish Jha informed during a press conference on Saturday evening that most of the arrangements to make the convention organized and representative have been completed. The convention is set to begin today in Bharatpur.

The convention will be inaugurated by party president Rabi Lamichhane and Prime Minister and senior leader Balen Shah at the guesthouse grounds in Bharatpur. According to spokesperson Jha, the process of selecting representatives from district, provincial, and foreign contact committees across the country has been completed.

Arrangements for the convention venue, accommodation, transportation, security, and volunteer mobilization have been finalized. “RSP divided the work of the convention into 18 sub-committees. The selection of representatives is almost complete,” said spokesperson Jha. “Reports including political, economic, and organizational statutes have been prepared. The central committee meeting held in Chitwan on Saturday has already amended the statutes to be presented at the convention.”

The central committee meeting in Bharatpur also revised the party structure. The secretariat proposed amending the statute to create a 151-member central committee. The meeting decided to amend the statute to ensure women’s participation in leadership positions, including senior leaders.

“The central meeting has amended the statute,” said Ganesh Parajuli, a member of the party’s secretariat and the statute amendment committee, after the meeting. “It has been decided to make the provincial presidents ex-officio members, creating a 151-member central committee.”

Currently, RSP has 121 central members. According to Parajuli, the party will have one president, one senior leader, three vice-presidents including one woman, two general secretaries, five deputy general secretaries including one woman, one spokesperson, three deputy spokespersons including one woman, one treasurer, and two deputy treasurers including one woman.

The current RSP statute does not mandate women in leadership positions. After the amendment, there will be a mandatory inclusion of one woman in the roles of vice-president, deputy general secretary, deputy spokesperson, and deputy treasurer.

The statute has been amended to allow the party president to nominate 51 of the 151 central members. Discussions have been held about the president appointing one vice-president, one general secretary, two deputy general secretaries, and the treasurer and spokesperson, considering broader political adjustments.

Now, 99 central committee members will be selected through open competition. The central members selected by the party president will be based on inclusivity. The statute mandates that each province must have five central members, including one woman.

The party leadership has prioritized strengthening the organization, setting future political strategies, and selecting new leadership through the convention, spokesperson Jha stated. The convention will involve extensive discussions on statute amendments, policy proposals, and contemporary political issues.

The convention aims to determine the party’s future direction and strengthen organizational expansion and public relations. Jha mentioned that the party views the votes received in elections as its “income.”

“We have mentioned in the statute that we will expand the party organization at the local level,” he said. “However, we will not have a fraternal organization.”

The convention will have 3,918 representatives, with 300 representatives nominated by the two general secretaries of RSP. The party has increased its membership to 500,000.

According to secretariat member Hari Dhakal, conventions have been completed in 610 municipalities and 4,063 wards. Additionally, conventions have been completed in six provinces and 64 districts, with representatives selected. Dhakal informed that representatives from the ad hoc committees of Madhesh Province and 13 districts where elections are yet to be held have come to the convention.