Rastriya Swatantra Party Accused of Violating Constitution by Enrolling Minors as Members
Kathmandu. More than a week has passed since the issue of the ruling party Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) enrolling children under 18 as party members, in violation of the constitution and prevailing laws, became public.
On Asar 9, while presenting the organizational report at the closed session of RSP's first general convention in Bharatpur, Chitwan, outgoing General Secretary Kabindra Burlaoti mentioned that the party has 35,257 children under 18 as members. The general convention hall also passed the same report.
Following the revelation that 35,257 out of RSP's 523,465 members are under 18, RSP's move has been widely criticized. MPs have raised questions about this issue in both the House of Representatives and the National Assembly, and various concerned organizations and bodies have also expressed their interest.
Despite the opposition and concern from stakeholders regarding the enrollment of children as party members in violation of the law, RSP and its leaders have remained silent on the issue. Attempts to contact Burlaoti, who prepared the report, multiple times were unsuccessful as he did not answer his phone.
A newly elected official of RSP admitted that enrolling children under 18 as members was a mistake but stated that it was not appropriate to give an official reaction by mentioning his name at this time.
"That is a serious mistake, there is no alternative but to correct it," he told Ratopati. "One should not remain silent on an issue that could become a national and international issue; the party will surely make a decision."
Article 39 of the Constitution of Nepal stipulates that children shall not be subjected to any form of exploitation or improper use. Not only that, various laws related to children and elections clearly explain this, stating that children should not be used in politics.
Section 7(7) of the Children Act, 2075 (2018) states, "No child shall be recruited into the army, police, or armed groups, nor shall they be used for armed conflict or political purposes, directly or indirectly."
Similarly, Article 14 of the Political Parties Act clearly states that the criterion for a person to become a member of any party is to have "completed 18 years of age." After enrolling children as party members without regard for the constitution and prevailing laws, questions are being raised as to whether RSP is trying to place itself above the constitution and laws.
The National Human Rights Commission has also stated that it has not yet studied the news published on this issue. Commission spokesperson Dr. Tikaram Pokharel responded that the commission does not form an opinion based solely on news reported in the media.
"The commission does not form an opinion based solely on news reported in the media. We need to study it and see if what has come out is confirmed," Pokharel told Ratopati. "Then we have to ask the concerned party and then form an opinion."
After Pokharel said this, he suggested contacting the commission's Women and Children Branch for further information. Following his suggestion, Ratopati contacted Branch Chief Geeta Dahal on Tuesday morning, who said she could not say anything on the matter at the moment.
"I was on leave for a few days and have just returned to the office today. I need to understand what has happened regarding this," said Branch Chief Dahal. "Since the commission has a one-door system for providing information, please talk to the spokesperson."
This specific news has been automatically translated by AI. As a result, there may be some inaccuracies or language errors.
