Rabi Lamichhane Declares No Need for 'Honeymoon Period', Pledges Accountability and Reform

Kathmandu. Rabi Lamichhane, Chairman of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has stated that his party does not require a 100-day 'honeymoon period' to begin its work. Addressing the first meeting of the House of Representatives at Singha Durbar on Thursday, Lamichhane declared that they have already started working, counting not by days, but by seconds.

MP Lamichhane remarked that previous governments failed to become instruments of historical change due to weaknesses in transparency and accountability, asserting that they have come to learn from history and deliver results. He urged opposition parties to monitor them 24/7 and correct them if they stray from the path. Lamichhane promised that past malpractices, such as amending laws or issuing ordinances to protect one's own and frame opponents, will not be repeated. He committed that there would be no discriminatory treatment based on ideology and no one would be unjustly framed by bypassing legal procedures.

'The momentum of good governance will not stop; the right to justice belongs to the martyrs and mothers, and this cannot be called revenge,' he said. He also appealed to officials appointed through political recommendations to voluntarily step down. Reassuring the private sector, Lamichhane stated that the business environment, ruined by middlemen and mafias, will now be improved. 'Policies will no longer be sold in the market, and decisions will not be made under anyone's pressure,' he said, adding, 'The government takes responsibility for equal opportunity, transparency, and professional freedom.'

He guaranteed full legal and political security for domestic and foreign investors. During his address, Lamichhane apologized on behalf of the entire House and the government to the Dalit community, who have suffered discrimination and atrocities for centuries. Terming untouchability not just a social error but an 'organized crime,' he declared that no Nepali will have to bow down in the name of caste anymore. Similarly, he apologized for limiting women's opportunities and confining them to the home, committing to meaningful representation in education, employment, and every level of the state. 'No daughter will have to shrink her dreams anymore; zero tolerance will be adopted against violence against women,' he announced.

Highly respecting the sacrifices of Nepalis in foreign employment who are sustaining the country's economy, Lamichhane stated that their pain will now be a state priority. He warned that labor mafias and middlemen will now face action. He said, 'Our ambassadors going to the Gulf region will no longer be found at dinner tables with middlemen, but in labor camps.' Additionally, he called on youth abroad to return to Nepal and join in economic development.

Lamichhane clarified that there will be no more foreign interference or cheap politics regarding relations with neighboring and friendly nations. He stated that a friendly, transparent, and national interest-based foreign policy will be formulated by taking the opposition along. Emphasizing that this parliament and government belong to the people, Lamichhane committed that the country's prosperity, improvement in people's lives, and the creation of a just society remain their sole objective.