Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The election schedule under the first General Convention of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has been revised for the fifth time.
As per the latest revision, voting for the party’s office-bearers will be held from 9:15 pm to 12:15 am.
Earlier, the party’s Central Election Commission had said that voting to elect office-bearers would be held from 4 pm.
As per the RSP statute, seven of the party’s 19 office-bearers are to be elected through voting, while the remaining 12 will be nominated by the party president. However, voting will be held for only six positions on Thursday, as Rabi Lamichhane has already been elected as the party president unopposed.
President Lamichhane is almost certain to nominate Prime Minister Balendra Shah as the senior leader, according to party sources.
Similarly, one of the party’s three vice-presidents will be nominated by the president, while the remaining two positions, including one reserved for a woman, will be filled through elections. Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle is said to be almost certain to be nominated as a vice-president.
Three leaders—Toshima Karki, Sobita Gautam and Lima Adhikari—are in the fray for the position of vice-president (women), while Biraj Bhakta Shrestha is the sole candidate for the remaining vice-president position.
Similarly, one of the two general secretaries will be nominated by the president. Sources say an agreement has been reached to nominate Bhup Dev Shah to one of the positions, while voting will be held to elect the other general secretary.
Kabindra Burlakoti, Shishir Khanal, Bipin Acharya, Ganesh Parajuli and Manish Jha are in the race for the position of elected general secretary.
Likewise, Yagyamani Neupane, Sagar Dhakal, Ramesh Prasai and Dr Ankita Yadav are in the race for the three positions of elected joint general secretary. The President will nominate two joint general secretaries.
The president will also nominate one treasurer, two joint treasurers, one spokesperson and three joint spokespersons to the party’s office-bearers.
The repeated revisions to the election schedule come amid efforts by party president Lamichhane to forge consensus among aspirants for key leadership positions before voting takes place.
