KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Rabi Lamichhane and Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) have reached a written agreement to move forward together in the upcoming elections.
The agreement, titled ‘Greater Unity’, was signed on Sunday morning following overnight negotiations between the two leaders. The seven-point pact outlines political commitments, leadership arrangements, and organizational restructuring ahead of the elections.
The key points of the agreement are as follows:
1. A commitment to appropriately address the demands of the families of the injured and martyrs by formally embracing the youth-led movement against corruption and misgovernance.
2. A pledge to honestly implement a long-term roadmap aimed at transforming Nepal into a respectable middle-income country within the next 10 years through deep policy, institutional, and structural reforms focused on socio-economic upliftment, good governance, and social justice.
3. Following grand unification, the party will be named Rastriya Swatantra Party, with a flag featuring a blue bell at the center of a white circle on a blue background. The party’s election symbol will be the bell, and its central office will be located in the Kathmandu Valley.
4. Rabi Lamichhane will serve as the central Chair of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, while Balendra Shah will become the parliamentary party leader after the upcoming House of Representatives election and the party’s future prime ministerial candidate.
5. To strengthen and expand the party’s organizational structure, appropriate adjustments will be made to include youth activists and experienced experts, with responsibilities assigned based on competence, inclusiveness, and public credibility.
6. All necessary documents related to the Rastriya Swatantra Party will be updated at the Election Commission in accordance with the agreement.
7. A call has been made to other progressive, alternative political forces, groups, and individuals to unite under the party’s principles, leadership, and election symbol to advance democratic good governance, development, and social justice.
The agreement signals a major political realignment ahead of the elections, positioning the two leaders as key figures in Nepal’s emerging alternative political landscape.
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