CHITWAN:- Leaders from various political parties attending the first national general convention of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in Chitwan district on Sunday noon have furnished a host of suggestions to the party that was established four years ago on this day.
Photo Courtesy: RSS
The leaders addressing the inaugural of the party’s maiden three-day national convention urged the party to protect the overwhelming public mandate it has received in the recent elections, strengthen internal democracy and take forward its campaign of good-governance agenda effectively/responsibly.
Addressing the gathering, Nepali Congress (NC) President Gagan Kumar Thapa urged political parties to respect the public mandate and remain free from arrogance and the intoxication of power, saying public trust has repeatedly been undermined throughout history by internal conflicts, leadership ego and abuse of authority.
Thapa took the event as an opportunity to clarify that the NC considers RSP a political competitor rather than an enemy. The leader of the major opposition party said that the opposition would support good initiatives while holding the government accountable.
He also cautioned against disregarding the country’s democratic legacy, stressing that the political achievements of today were built upon decades of struggle, sacrifice and the contributions of earlier generations.
Thapa stressed that the historic struggles, sacrifices and contributions made by earlier generations should not be forgotten by the current generation.
Likewise, former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai viewed the RSP’s rapid rise as a part of a new phase of political transformation in the country and linked it to the broader campaign for alternative politics.
Ruling out the conspiracy theory that external forces were behind the party’s emergence, he claimed that young people seeking justice and change had created this momentum. Bhattarai said his generation of political leaders had carried Nepal’s political transformation through to republicanism and the promulgation of the Constitution, while the responsibility of advancing good governance and achieving prosperity now rests with a new generation of leaders including the RSP leadership.
CPN-UML leader Pradeep Gyawali observed that the RSP has got a historic responsibility to strengthen democracy and state institutions. Gyawali suggested that the convention should not only to elect leadership but also to should define a clear political vision, principles and roadmap.
“It is not about where the RSP stands in national politics. What matters more is how it advances constitutionalism, the rule of law, fundamental rights, social justice and the concept of a responsible state,” he pointed out.
Likewise, Nepali Communist Party’s leader Barshaman Pun said efforts to establish good governance and reform must remain within constitutional and legal boundaries. He noted continued cooperation between his party and RSP on anti-corruption and maintaining good-governance.
Leader Pun expressed hope that the convention would address concerns surrounding the party and bring greater ideological and organisational clarity.
Also addressing the convention, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairperson Rajendra Lingden pointed out that Nepal’s challenges are rooted not only in political leadership but also in the constitutional and political framework. He thus underlined the need to reform the political system to give proper outlet to country.
Lingden told delegates that the opportunity before RSP was a rare moment in Nepal’s political history and warned that failing to make meaningful use of it would not only undermine the party’s future but also disappoint the nation.
Janata Samajbadi Party Chairperson Upendra Yadav called on political forces to rise above narrow interests and work together for prosperity and social transformation. He said that party conventions should serve not merely as platforms for electing leadership but also as forums to guide national politics and shape public aspirations.
Janamat Party Chairperson Dr CK Raut described the convention as more than a political gathering. He touted the event as a ‘festival of revolution’ driven by young people’s desire for national change and economic progress. Raut said he attended the convention not as a competitor but as a supporter of shared aspirations.RSS