KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) concluded its Secretariat meeting on Friday, where Acting Chairperson DP Aryal urged party leaders to refrain from making unverified statements that have fueled confusion and speculation outside the party.
According to Aryal, various rumors had surfaced after informal meetings between leaders and outsiders, prompting him to call for greater discipline and internal cohesion. RSP Vice-Chair Dr. Swarnim Wagle also supported Aryal’s remarks, saying leaders should not make assumptions or public comments based on informal discussions.
“We must speak in one voice. When mixed messages go out, the public becomes confused,” Wagle said during the meeting, according to a Secretariat member.
The meeting discussed forming a dialogue committee to manage the party’s interactions with other political forces. Leader Biraj Bhakta Shrestha proposed that the party formally authorize dialogue with both new and established political groups ahead of the upcoming elections.
The meeting also addressed rumors that Energy Minister Kulman Ghising was preparing to join the RSP and could even be considered for the party presidency. Party leaders dismissed the speculation as baseless, clarifying that no such proposal had been raised at any official meeting.
“This talk of making Ghising the party president is nothing but rumor,” one senior leader said. “It seems aimed at weakening our current leadership while Chair Rabi Lamichhane is facing legal troubles.”
Invited member Sobita Gautam and several others said such misinformation was being deliberately spread to sow confusion among party members.
Leader Biraj Bhakta Shrestha further stressed that district, provincial, and local party organizations should be empowered, and that the central leadership should avoid over-interference. Both he and Wagle supported holding an extended meeting to review the party’s internal structure and strategies ahead of the election.
The Secretariat also revisited questions surrounding RSP Chair Rabi Lamichhane’s release from Nakkhu Prison during the Gen-Z protests. Party leaders sought clarity on reports that Lamichhane had been freed using falsified documents.
General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti informed members that the Disciplinary Commission had requested an internal investigation. The Secretariat is yet to decide whether the issue will be handled by the Central Committee or the party commission.
The RSP will hold an extended meeting in late October, where issues of leadership transition, political strategy, and organizational reform will be discussed. Some members have argued that the party cannot go into elections under the current interim leadership.
Vice-Chair Wagle, who has been tasked with preparing the political report for the extended meeting, emphasized the need for unity and collective input: “We must make the RSP stronger, not by rumors, but through clarity and collaboration.”
The meeting also agreed that the party’s first general convention will likely take place after the national elections, possibly in March next year.
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