RSP proposes directly-elected PM, scrapping of province assemblies

KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has put forth its suggestions on constitutional amendments.

Presenting his political report at the party’s first National Gathering in Kathmandu on Wednesday, RSP President Rabi Lamichhane unveiled the party’s vision for comprehensive constitutional amendments. The party has put forward a series of reforms aimed at addressing what it sees as systemic issues in the current system.

Given below are RSP’s suggestions for constitutional amendments:

Presidential System: The RSP has proposed to have an independent, non-partisan president elected directly by the people. Lamichhane said RSP will publicly announce its presidential candidate before the elections.

Directly Elected Prime Minister: RSP has proposed a system where the prime minister is directly elected and has the authority to choose ministers based on expertise rather than political affiliation.

Restructuring of National Assembly: The RSP has suggested transforming the National Assembly into a non-partisan assembly of intellectuals that reflects national unity and inclusivity.

Scrapping Provincial Setup: RSP has proposed abolishing provincial assemblies altogether. Instead, it has suggested creating provincial councils comprising of local representatives, with five provincial ministries led by directly elected chief ministers.

Fully Proportional ELection System: RSP has proposed a fully proportional election system for the House of Representatives. The party has argued that the current system is excessively expensive and prone to corruption.

Diaspora Representation: RSP has proposed allowing Nepalis living abroad to vote and reserving up to 10% of proportional representation seats for distinguished individuals from the diaspora willing to contribute to the country’s transformation.