Rastriya Swatantra Party Election Committees Incomplete Ahead of General Convention

Kathmandu. With only 18 days left until the first general convention of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), the district election committees have not yet been finalized. According to the general convention schedule published by the Central Election Commission on Jestha 7, election committees were to be formed in all 77 districts and 7 provinces by the 15th. The secretariat meeting held on Monday nominated Bhuvan KC as the Chief of the Central Election Commission. The meeting chaired by KC on Tuesday decided to assign members of the commission to coordinate, facilitate, and form provincial election commissions for Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini provinces out of the seven provinces. Provincial conventions are scheduled to be held continuously from Jestha 26 to Asar 1. However, it is understood that election committees for the district conventions to be held on the 23rd and 24th have not yet been formed. A former official of the party's Election Commission asserted that election committees have not been formed in the districts. 'District conventions are scheduled for Jestha 23 and 24, but election committees have not yet been formed in the districts. There is a possibility that the scheduled dates may change. Provincial conventions will likely be completed. A concrete decision regarding the general convention will be made after the chairman returns to the country,' he said. However, commission member Gokul Sapkota asserted that work is proceeding according to the schedule. He stated that with the election chief having just been nominated, the remaining work will be expedited to complete the convention on time. 'Work is proceeding according to the general convention schedule. For the provinces, it has been decided to coordinate with the provincial committees. Committee formation is also progressing in the districts,' he said. 'Conventions in wards and local levels have largely been completed. Instructions have been given to hold conventions immediately in places where disputes have arisen. Reports on how many wards and local levels have completed their conventions have not yet been received.' Conventions in various districts under Bagmati and Madhesh provinces have been postponed due to complaints. The commission's meeting on Tuesday directed the postponement of conventions in Chautara Sangachokgadhi Municipality of Sindhupalchok district and other disputed local levels and wards within the district. In Madhesh Province, significant disputes have been observed in local levels and wards of Saptari and Siraha districts. Conventions in Jaleshwor Municipality, Ekadara Rural Municipality, Mathihani Municipality, Manara Siswa Municipality, Pipara Rural Municipality, and other disputed areas of Mahottari district have been postponed. Conventions in disputed areas of Dhanusha district, including Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City, Janaknandini Rural Municipality, Ganeshman Charanath Municipality, and Hariharpur Municipality of Sarlahi district, have also been postponed. The commission had directed that no new election-related processes should be advanced in these local levels until the disputes are resolved, after which the process will proceed. The RSP's recent secretariat meeting had approved the provincial and district convention procedures. The central committee meeting held on Baisakh 30 had decided to hold the general convention in Chitwan on Asar 7, 8, and 9. Eighteen sub-committees were formed under the main general convention organizing committee. The organizing committee includes party secretariat members, central committee members, and all provincial chairpersons. Spokesperson Manish Jha informed that the work details related to the upcoming general convention will be made public on Thursday. He stated that a central committee meeting is likely to be held after Chairman Ravi Lamichhane returns to the country to make further decisions regarding the general convention. 'I will release an updated report on the work done so far regarding the upcoming general convention tomorrow morning. Preparations are underway to convene a central committee meeting to make necessary decisions regarding the general convention,' Jha told RatoPati. The responsibility of preparing the general convention procedures has been given to General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti. Another General Secretary Bhupadev Shah has been appointed as the coordinator of the Unity Adjustment Committee, and Vice General Secretary Bipin Kumar Acharya has been assigned the responsibility of amending the constitution. The deadline for the task forces of Shah and Acharya to submit their drafts was Jestha 10. However, Acharya, the coordinator of the constitution amendment task force, stated that the task force is still in discussion. 'We are discussing this matter. As some issues are interrelated with the general convention procedures and the constitution, we are working to bring about uniformity. We will submit the draft in a few days,' Acharya said. Acharya, along with Chairman Ravi Lamichhane and Secretariat Member Deepak Bohora, is currently in New Delhi on a five-day visit to India at the invitation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).