CHITWAN: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Rabi Lamichhane has reiterated his support for a directly elected executive, arguing that such a system would provide stable leadership and clear lines of accountability.
Presenting his political report during the closed session of the party’s general convention on Tuesday, Lamichhane said the RSP favors a governance model led by a directly elected executive with a fixed mandate and well-defined responsibilities.
He said the party has maintained a distinct perspective on constitutional reform since its inception. Referring to the Constitution promulgated in 2015 (2072 BS), Lamichhane noted that it had envisioned the possibility of review and amendment after a decade of implementation.
“When the Constitution was drafted in 2072 BS, space was left for a review of its implementation after 10 years,” he said. “We have now reached that natural review stage. The RSP supports an open, honest, and responsible debate on the Constitution’s achievements, shortcomings, and the reforms sought by citizens.”
Lamichhane also advocated replacing the current electoral system with a fully proportional model, arguing that it would reduce election costs while ensuring broader representation of all communities.
According to the political report, the party supports transforming the National Assembly (NA) into a non-partisan chamber of experts and assigning the role of Speaker to the Vice President. The report also calls for restructuring provincial assemblies and provincial governments.
Lamichhane stressed that any constitutional amendment process should be guided by the country’s long-term interests rather than narrow political calculations.
“The Constitution is a shared national document, not the manifesto of any political party,” he said. “It is neither an unchangeable text nor a document that should be altered with every political shift. Constitutional amendments should be based on the principles of good governance, stability, representation, and the interests of citizens.”
He added that the party favors a broad-based constitutional reform process grounded in national dialogue, expert recommendations, citizen participation, and, as far as possible, consensus among political parties.
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