KATHMANDU: Chair of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Rabi Lamichhane, has instructed party leaders not to publicly declare ministerial candidates on their own, stating that the parliamentary party leader has yet to be selected.
Lamichhane issued the directive while virtually participating in a secretariat meeting held at the party’s central office on Sunday.
The meeting was convened to finalize the names of 57 proportional representation candidates expected to win seats from the party’s PR list.
During the meeting, Lamichhane said reports were emerging in various media outlets about leaders announcing ministerial portfolios on their own and urged them to refrain from doing so.
“News is coming in different media that some are declaring ministerial names on their own,” Lamichhane said. “Senior leader Balen Shah and I are discussing who will be sent to the ministries. Please do not make unnecessary statements outside.”
Senior leader Shah, however, did not attend Sunday’s secretariat meeting. Since joining the party, he has not participated in any party meetings and was absent both physically and virtually on Sunday as well.
Lamichhane also informed the meeting that Shah would be proposed as the parliamentary party leader in the upcoming central committee meeting.
He added that discussions were ongoing among senior leaders about who should be assigned to different ministries and how the party could deliver result-oriented governance.
Lamichhane further said the party plans to recommend subject experts for ministerial positions to ensure effective performance and assured that all leaders and lawmakers of the party would be treated fairly.
According to him, the process of forming a new government is expected to move forward within a week after finalizing the proportional representation list.
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