Rastriya Swatantra Party to Elect Parliamentary Party Leader Following Central Committee Meeting Amidst Balen Shah's Prime Ministerial Ambitions

The Central Committee meeting of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) will be convened immediately followed by a meeting of the parliamentary party. The RSP has called the Central Committee meeting for Thursday at 4 PM at the central office in Banasthali to discuss the selection of the parliamentary party leader and other various agendas.

An agreement of 7 points was reached with the former Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Balen Shah, on Poush 13. Point number 4 of the agreement stated that Rabi Lamichhane would be the party chairman and Balen would be the candidate for the future Prime Minister. However, there is discussion that making Balen the parliamentary party leader might not be permissible according to the RSP's statute. Nevertheless, RSP leaders have stated that there is no issue in making senior leader Balen the parliamentary party leader.

Secretariat member Ganesh Parajuli stated that there is no need to ratify the previous 7-point agreement again as it was already endorsed by the Central Committee meeting previously. He informed that the parliamentary party meeting tomorrow will elect Balen as the leader in accordance with the provisions in the Constitution and the law related to political parties.

'The 7-point agreement to make Balen the future Prime Ministerial candidate has already been endorsed by the party's Secretariat and Central Committee meetings. The Central Committee meeting does not need to make a decision again to make him the parliamentary party leader,' he told Ratopati. 'Since it has been announced that the leader will be chosen unanimously, there is no need to amend the statute. As the Constitution and the law regarding political parties state that elected members of parliament will choose the party leader, we have called the parliamentary party meeting tomorrow at 5 PM to endorse that.'

Joint Secretary Bipin Kumar Acharya also informed that the parliamentary party meeting will be held immediately after the Central Committee meeting to make Balen the parliamentary party leader. He asserted that regardless of the provisions in the party's statute, there would be no obstacle to choosing the party leader by consensus.

'Our party's statute states that the parliamentary party leader will be selected by party members before the election. However, the Constitution states that the party leader will be chosen from among the elected members of parliament. Since an agreement has been reached to make Balen the future Prime Ministerial candidate, there is no need to amend the statute to make him the party leader,' he said.

Newly elected members of parliament are scheduled to take the oath of office and secrecy at the Parliament Building in Singha Durbar on Thursday. Since Balen is preparing to take the oath of office and secrecy as Prime Minister on Friday, the party will inform the President's Office before that that he has been selected as the parliamentary party leader.

As the RSP secured a clear majority in the House of Representatives election held on Falgun 21, the President will appoint Balen as Prime Minister in accordance with Article 76(1) of the Constitution.