KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has postponed its first General Convention to the third week of February (Fagun), 2082 BS, following the arrest of party chair Rabi Lamichhane in a cooperative fraud case.
The decision was made during Thursday’s central committee meeting held at the party headquarters in Banasthali, chaired by acting party president DP Aryal.
Previously scheduled for Baisakh, the convention has now been rescheduled to February 19–21 (Fagun 7–9) in Chitwan.
The meeting also finalized a revised internal election schedule: ward-level conventions by Ashoj, local-level by Kartik, district-level by Mangsir, and provincial conventions by Magh 15.
Lamichhane, who had been away from party duties for over five months due to fraud allegations, briefly resumed political activity on Chaitra 17.
However, just days later, on Chaitra 22, the Butwal bench of the High Court Tulsipur ordered him to be held in custody for further investigation into the alleged embezzlement of savings from the Supreme Cooperative.
With the Supreme Court yet to issue a final verdict, the timeline of Lamichhane’s political comeback remains uncertain.
If cleared by the court, he is expected to reclaim the party leadership during the rescheduled convention. However, if the High Court’s decision is upheld, his detention may be extended.
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