KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balendra Shah held a meeting with Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chair Rajendra Lingden at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers on Thursday.
According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the meeting focused on recent political developments, the country’s current situation and other issues of mutual interest.
RPP Senior Vice-Chair Buddhiman Tamang and central committee member and House of Representatives lawmaker Khusbu Oli also attended the meeting.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Lingden said the RPP is prepared to support the government if it is willing to alter the Constitution’s fundamental structure.
Referring to the withdrawal of parties, including the CPN-UML, from the constitutional amendment task force, Lingden said he had informed the Prime Minister that the RPP would be willing to cooperate with the government under certain conditions.
“They say they left the constitutional amendment task force because the government is attempting to undermine republicanism and federalism. If that is the direction the government intends to take, the RPP is ready to support it,” he said.
Lingden reiterated that the RPP remains committed to replacing the current republican, secular and federal system.
“We have consistently maintained that republicanism, secularism and federalism should be changed. If the government brings a proposal to abolish the current system, we are ready to support it,” he said.
He also said the RPP believes the monarchy should replace the current presidency and that Nepal should have a two-tier governance system consisting of the federal and local levels, instead of the existing three-tier structure.
Lingden added that he urged the Prime Minister to replace the constitutional provision on secularism with a Hindu state.
“If the allegations made by other parties are true, the RPP is prepared to support the government,” he said. “We are in the opposition, but if the government is ready to abolish republicanism and secularism, we will cooperate.”
Despite that, Lingden stressed that the RPP would continue to play the role of a constructive opposition in Parliament.
“We have said this before. Both mathematically and ideologically, we are in the opposition. The RPP will continue to play a strong opposition role, but we are prepared to support the government on issues where our views align,” he said.
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