Recent agreements part of our effort to clean up politics: Lamichhane

POKHARA: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairperson Rabi Lamichhane has said that recent agreements were reached in the national interest to sweep the entire mess of politics in one stroke.

Speaking to journalists in Pokhara on Wednesday, Lamichhane claimed that the agreement clearly states where they want the country to be over the next 10 years.

Lamichhane is in Pokhara to attend hearings at the Kaski District Court and the Pokhara High Court in a cooperative fraud case. He has been released on bail by both courts.

Ahead of the House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5, the RSP signed separate agreements with Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah and Kulman Ghising of Ujyalo Nepal Party.

Referring to those agreements, Lamichhane, who is also a former Deputy Prime Minister, said they had to reach an agreement in line with the country’s needs to clear the entire political mess at once.

“People have welcomed these agreements. Some parties may oppose it, but the agreement was made with the country at the center,” he said.

Lamichhane denied suggestions outright that recent consolidations were part of give-and-take deals. “This is a sharing of responsibilities, not a division of spoils. We have discussed where we want to be in 10 years,” he said.

Lamichhane also praised Mayor Shah, saying that he has sparked a new wave of change and helped raise political awareness among young people. “As someone who has ignited hope for change and is popular among the youth, Balen Shah is a prime contender for the prime ministership,” Lamichhane said.

He added that the party, as a new political force, was committed to strengthening this unity and making it results-oriented.

Replying to a query about issues related to the party’s closed list of proportional representation candidates, Lamichhane assured that errors in the proportional representation list would be corrected. “The errors occurred due to time constraints and technical issues. There was no ill intention,” he added.