The National Independent Party (RSP) has issued a seven-point directive to aspirants for the upcoming local elections, instructing would-be candidates not to announce their candidacies before the party releases its official work schedule, and warning that any violation of the party's code of conduct could invite disciplinary action up to and including the cancellation of membership. The directive was issued by Bhuvan KC, chair of the party's central election committee, and is addressed to all party leaders, members and aspirants at every level of the organization, according to reports published by RatoPati and Nepal Press.

Candidacy Announcements on Hold Until Official Work Schedule

Among the seven points, the most consequential instruction for hopefuls is one of timing. The party has directed everyone wishing to contest the local elections to refrain from publicly declaring their candidacies until the central election committee formally releases the official work schedule for the polls. Until that schedule is out, no leader, member or aspirant, whatever their standing in the party, is to present themselves as a candidate.

The sequencing is a central feature of the directive. By linking public declarations to the publication of the work schedule, the committee has established a single starting point for the party's course toward the elections. The instruction makes clear that candidacies are to emerge on a timetable set by the party, in line with KC's stated emphasis on a fair and rule-bound process, rather than through announcements made ahead of the schedule.

KC: Internal Democracy Rests on Rules, Fair Process and Accountability

Framing the directive, KC said that internal democracy within the party is established through adherence to rules, a fair process and institutional accountability. His statement positions the seven-point directive as more than an administrative circular: it is a declaration of the principles on which the party says its handling of the upcoming elections will be based. Adherence to rules, fairness of process and institutional accountability are presented as the pillars that keep competition among members orderly.

The directive also spells out what compliance means in practice. All party leaders, members and aspirants, at every level of the organization, have been told to follow the party statute, the procedures approved by the party and the party's code of conduct. That breadth matters: the obligations are not confined to those seeking tickets, but extend to the party's entire leadership and membership as the local polls approach.

The Directive at a Glance

The directive, as reported, centers on three core requirements:

  • Aspirants for the upcoming local elections must not announce their candidacies before the official work schedule is released.
  • All party leaders, members and aspirants, at every level, must comply with the party statute, approved procedures and the code of conduct.
  • Violations of the code of conduct can result in disciplinary action, up to and including the cancellation of membership.

Party Warns of Action Up to Membership Cancellation

The enforcement message attached to the directive is explicit. According to the directive, any violation of the code of conduct can lead to action, up to and including the cancellation of membership. Placing the harshest available penalty on the table signals that the central election committee intends to treat breaches of the code as serious institutional matters rather than lapses to be overlooked in the run-up to the elections.

For aspirants, the practical effect is that their conduct in the period before the work schedule is released, and through the process that follows, will be measured against a written code with consequences attached. The warning applies across the board, meaning senior leaders and first-time aspirants alike face the same ceiling of punishment if they breach the rules the party has set for itself.

Discipline Set as the Tone Ahead of Local Polls

With local elections on the horizon, the RSP has chosen to define the terms of internal competition before its members begin openly positioning themselves for nominations. The seven-point directive, issued under KC's leadership of the central election committee, establishes the sequence: the official work schedule first, then candidacy declarations, all within the boundaries of the party statute, approved procedures and code of conduct.

Both RatoPati and Nepal Press reported the directive, including its warning of action up to and including cancellation of membership for those who violate the code of conduct. Taken together, the seven points and KC's remarks underline that the party wants adherence to rules, a fair process and institutional accountability, not premature declarations, to define its path into the local elections.