RSP's First General Convention Amid Rare History and Host of Hardships: Institutional Foundation of Alternative Politics or Recurrence of Traditional Anomalies?

Chitwan, Nepal: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which made history by becoming the country's largest political party and leading the government with a near two-thirds majority in parliament less than four years after its inception, has concluded its historic first National General Convention. Initiated in Chitwan on June 21 (Asar 7), the convention finally wrapped up on Friday (the seventh day) with the election of a new leadership. The event heavily overshot its scheduled three-day timeline due to managerial hurdles, intense internal disputes, and prolonged delays in the voting process.

This convention has established the party's founding chairman, Rabi Lamichhane, as an indisputable, supreme leader validated by representatives from across the country. It also formally approved an internal power-sharing alignment that positions Balendra (Balen) Shah—the former Mayor of Kathmandu and current Prime Minister—as the party's "Senior Leader." However, despite emerging as an "alternative to traditional parties," RSP’s first convention brought to the surface the very same policy autocracy, factionalism, and managerial immaturity that have long plagued traditional parties.

A New Practice of Power Centralization: The Political Message of the Rabi-Balen Duo

Gauging the mood of the representatives in the Chitwan convention hall and open grounds, a strong wave of support and universal acceptance for Chairman Rabi Lamichhane was clearly evident. Lamichhane’s unopposed election as chairman on June 23 (Asar 9) was not merely a technical process, but a confirmation that he faces no viable alternative within the party. Following his election at the general convention of the largest party in parliament, Rabi’s organizational and political stature has risen significantly.

However, the second dimension of this shift is deeply contemplative. Under the newly amended statute, the chairman has been granted the sole authority to nominate one-third of the members of the central committee. Similarly, a provision has been introduced where 12 out of 19 office bearers in the core working committee—the body that runs the day-to-day operations of the party—will now be nominated rather than elected. According to political analysts, this represents an extreme centralization of power rather than democratic decentralization, fostering a "controlled democracy" and risking the same "high-command culture" typical of older, traditional parties.

Prior to the convention, following a "Gen Z rebellion" that altered the country's political course, the RSP consolidated alternative forces by securing Balendra Shah’s position as "Senior Leader" through nomination. Despite undercurrents of dissatisfaction regarding other positions, the convention floor lent its full support to this Rabi-Balen duo. While bringing Balen into the party structure was a strategic move to retain public support, critics argue that fixing the top leadership in advance by bypassing the statute mocks internal democracy.

Dramatic Rise: Transforming the 'Victim Card' Into Electoral Victory

During the inaugural session, Chairman Lamichhane and other speakers emotionally recalled the painful past the party endured to reach this milestone. From Lamichhane's 11-day police custody in Chitwan in 2019 (2076 BS) over the suicide abetment case of colleague Shalikram Pudasaini, to losing his ministerial and parliamentary positions due to a citizenship controversy, and his recent 84-day detention across five districts over cooperative fraud and organized crime cases—Rabi's political journey has been filled with dramatic twists.

The RSP has consistently interpreted these legal crises as state-sponsored "vendettas" and "regime suppression." According to political analysts, the RSP cleverly converted this narrative into widespread public sympathy. Following last August's political upheaval, the dissolution of the House of Representatives, and Rabi's release after the formation of an election government led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, his electoral alliance (comprising Bibeksheel Sajha, a faction of Ujyaalo Nepal, Tharuhat, and the Hamro Nepal Party) swept older parties away in the February 21 election. The front secured a historic 182 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives. However, critics note that labeling standard legal processes as mere vendettas keeps questions alive regarding the RSP's actual allegiance to the rule of law.

Ideological Shift and Policy Ambiguity: Dissatisfaction Over 'Fast-Tracking'

A general convention is meant to be more than a leadership election; it dictates a party's ideological direction. However, no serious debate or deliberation took place on key documents during the RSP's closed session. Due to the leadership's haste, time slots ranging from just 20 minutes to an hour and a quarter were allocated for six crucial reports. Representatives passed the amended statute and reports unanimously through a "fast track" via floor applause, without most even getting a chance to read them.

In the newly passed political report, the RSP shifted its core guiding principle to "social democracy," departing from its previous stance of "constitutional socialism." Passing such a massive policy shift from the floor without discussion—while failing to provide a clear roadmap of where the RSP is headed ideologically—suggests that individual personalities have triumphed over institutional ideology.

The most intense controversy was triggered by Vice-Chairman Dr. Swarnim Wagle's political-economy report, which proposes:

    A directly elected Prime Minister.

    Partyless local governance, alongside cutting the number of local units by one-third.

    Restructuring federalism, including the outright abolition of provincial assemblies.

As soon as this proposal came to light, political circles and analysts began portraying the RSP as an anti-federalist and conservative force. Some representatives within the RSP coming from the former Bibeksheel Sajha group expressed grave disagreement, warning that a report rejecting federalism would be entirely unacceptable to them. This friction is highly likely to invite ideological polarization and sharp internal feuds in the days ahead.

Managerial Immaturity and Disputes Over Representatives

The logistical management of a party that proudly claims to be "digital" and "modern" appeared weak and chaotic during its inaugural convention. The closed session on the second day ground to a halt when the number of representatives suddenly spiked from an initial 3,000 to 4,100. Disputes over representation flared up across all provinces, particularly in Madhesh Province, during the integration of forces that had merged with the RSP, including Tharuhat.

The party's election commission failed to release verified data on the representatives. Due to delays in printing credentials, temporary cards were distributed, which led to mismatched membership numbers. Because they received their cards only after the closed session had concluded, hundreds of representatives were entirely deprived of participating. Newly elected General Secretary Bipin Acharya had to publicly apologize to journalists for this extreme logistical lapse, exposing the RSP's organizational immaturity.

Suspicions of 'Manual Setting' in Digital Voting and Legal Battles

Candidates have vented fierce anger against the methods and results of the electronic voting conducted to elect the 99-member central committee and office bearers. Objections were raised stating that instead of placing names alphabetically based on registration, Dr. Swarnim Wagle’s name was placed first and Sobita Gautam’s name second on the digital ballot; coincidentally, both topped the voting results. This has raised suspicions over whether the digital technology was tweaked into a "manual setting" for convenience.

Candidates Rajiv Khatri, Ashika Tamang, Yadu Kumar Giri, and Jwala Sangroula protested against the "mandatory voting method," which forced voters to cast ballots for candidates they did not prefer—or even their own rivals—to fill the 64 central committee slots outside of geographic quotas. The removal of the "No Vote" option at the central level, which had been utilized at lower tiers, further fuels allegations that the leadership sought to usher only preferred individuals into the center.

Meanwhile, candidate Pooja Bastola announced her decision to file a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the Election Commission's decision. Despite securing 913 votes—which placed her within the top two among women and the top five in the open category—she questioned the RSP's political culture, alleging that the commission kept her out while declaring candidates with fewer votes elected. This indicates that the RSP is set to be mired in legal controversies.

Leadership by 'Minority' Votes and the Rise of Factionalism

While the general convention elected two Vice-Chairmen, one General Secretary, three Joint General Secretaries, and a 99-member Central Committee, the process was marred by voter exhaustion. As the voting dragged on and management grew chaotic, frustrated representatives began returning home from Wednesday onward. Voter turnout dropped drastically from 2,959 votes in the Central Committee election to just 1,289 on Friday, the final day of electing office bearers.

With two-thirds of the total 4,100 representatives absent, the office bearers were elected by a minority vote of the remaining one-third. As a result, Sobita Gautam, who had secured a massive 2,641 votes for central member, managed to win the Vice-Chairperson post with just 789 votes. This inevitably raises questions regarding the moral legitimacy of a leadership elected by such low turnout.

A clear factional scent was also visible during the selection of office bearers in a party that had explicitly claimed it would end "panels" and factionalism. Initially, there were 10 aspirants for the post of General Secretary. However, following one-on-one negotiations with Chairman Rabi on Thursday night, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, Kabindra Burlakoti, and Jagadish Kharel backed down. On Friday, Pramod Nyaupane, Rajunath Pandey, Ganesh Parajuli, and Ranju Darshana organized a joint press conference on stage to withdraw their nominations, extending collective support to Bipin Acharya.

Criticism echoed across the hall, alleging that the establishment faction (the Rabi Lamichhane camp) pressured others to step down to ensure Acharya's victory. Although the newly elected General Secretary countered this by claiming that "the entire RSP is the establishment faction," the maneuver looked no different from the syndicates run in traditional parties under the guise of "consensus." As factionalism began to take root, Spokesperson Manish Jha publicly demanded action against those trying to create factions, showing how deep the internal rift runs.

Similarly, for the Vice-Chairman post, Viraj Bhakta Shrestha cleared the path for Dr. Swarnim Wagle, leading to his unopposed election, while Sobita Gautam, backed by the Rabi camp, defeated Toshima Karki for the other Vice-Chairman post reserved for women. This signals that sub-factions between the "Rabi camp" and "other camps" have already institutionalized within the party.

A Positive Standard: Historic 50 Percent Women Representation

Amidst numerous controversies, factionalism, and managerial shortcomings, this convention established a genuinely positive and historic standard in Nepal's parliamentary history. While the Constitution of Nepal and the Political Parties Act mandate at least 33 percent women representation in every party committee, the RSP elected 50 percent women to its central committee through open and geographic competition. Out of the 99 elected members, 49 women were chosen, automatically securing the 33 percent quota in the potential 151-member full committee prior to nominations. This achievement serves as a progressive lesson for traditional political parties.

Future Political Challenges

While this first general convention has laid the groundwork to institutionalize the RSP and free it from ad-hoc governance, it leaves the party facing steep ideological and practical challenges:

    The Federalism Dilemma: The proposal to abolish provincial assemblies will put the party on the defensive nationwide, particularly in regions with deep histories tied to the Madhesh and Janajati movements.

    Factionalism and Legal Fallout: The absence of a "No Vote" option, the mandatory voting method, and warnings from candidates like Pooja Bastola to approach the court will deliver a blow to the party's clean image.

    Extreme Centralization: The sweeping structural powers handed over to Rabi Lamichhane increase the danger of the party leaning authoritarian.

For the RSP, which is running a government with a near two-thirds majority, and its newly empowered Chairman Rabi Lamichhane, the ultimate challenge will be to avoid old-style factionalism and the intoxication of power. They must patch up the internal holes exposed by this convention and prove their proclaimed "alternative political culture" in practice. Otherwise, it will not take long for the public to view the RSP as the same old tendency in a new skin.