KATHMANDU: Following the conclusion of the first general convention of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), party Chair Rabi Lamichhane has begun consultations to finalize appointments to key party positions, including office bearers, secretariat members and central committee members.
Under the party statute, which has undergone four amendments, Lamichhane has been granted authority to nominate 10 office bearers and 51 central committee members.
According to sources close to the chair, discussions are focused mainly on accommodating groups that merged into the party and completing the integration process with leaders aligned with senior leader and Prime Minister Balendra Shah.
Party leaders say Lamichhane is considering using the nomination quota to include leaders from different groups who may have faced difficulties competing directly in elections during the convention.
RSP leader Ganesh Parajuli said the party’s position was that making leaders from newly integrated groups compete directly against founding leaders could have been unfair.
“Since this was a unity convention, the leadership will try to reflect that spirit and accommodate everyone,” he said.
Sources said Lamichhane has been holding informal discussions with Home Minister Sudan Gurung, Prime Minister and senior leader Balendra Shah, former Bibeksheel Sajha chair Samikshya Baskota, Ranju Darshana, Laxman Tharu, Khagendra Sunar and representatives of Gen-Z groups, while also maintaining dialogue with the party’s top leadership.
Although the statute grants full authority to the chair, party leaders say appointments will be made after broader consultations with stakeholders and in line with party procedures and policy.
Some office bearers may be nominated today
RSP’s first general convention elected five office bearers through a voting process, while Balendra Shah is understood to have entered the leadership structure automatically as senior leader.
Among the elected office bearers, Swarnim Wagle was elected unopposed as vice chair. Sobita Gautam secured the women vice chair position, while Bipin Kumar Acharya was elected general secretary. Nisha Dangi, Hari Dhakal and Asim Shah were elected assistant general secretaries.
The party statute provides for a total of 19 office bearers, leaving 10 positions to be filled through nomination by the chair.
Party spokesperson and treasurer positions remain vacant, and leaders close to Lamichhane say appointments to some positions could be announced as early as today (Wednesday).
Leaders including Deepak Bohara and Pramod Neupane are being discussed for the spokesperson role, while some leaders have also proposed Ganesh Parajuli. There are also calls within the party to retain former spokesperson Manish Jha in a leadership role, although insiders suggest that possibility appears limited.
For treasurer, some leaders support retaining Lima Adhikari, while others have floated the name of former Bibeksheel Sajha leader Ranju Darshana.
Names including Basumaya Tamang, Pradip Chandra Pariyar, Laxman Tharu, Sudan Gurung, Khagendra Sunar and Indira Rana are also being discussed for possible leadership roles.
Secretariat and central committee expansion planned gradually
Under the party statute, some office bearers automatically become secretariat members. As a result, Lamichhane is expected to nominate more than half of the 33-member secretariat.
Party leaders say appointments will seek to balance inclusivity, integration and internal unity while also selecting capable individuals for leadership responsibilities.
Leaders further said the chair is expected to exercise his authority gradually and nominate central committee members as needed.
The oath-taking ceremony for the 99 elected central committee members and six office bearers from the party’s first general convention is scheduled for Wednesday. The party is also preparing to hold its first central committee meeting following the oath ceremony.
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