Kathmandu, 17 August
With around nine months remaining until the next local elections, the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has already begun activities focused on the local polls.
The five-year term of local representatives elected in May 2022 is set to end next April if the election is held as scheduled.
The RSP launched its local election-focused Candidate Club on Monday. At the same time, federal ministers have been visiting various districts and urging locals to vote for RSP candidates in the upcoming local elections.
During an interaction with locals in Siraha on August 15, Health and Food Hygiene Minister Nisha Mehta said it had been difficult for the federal government to work effectively with only an RSP-led government at the centre.
She urged voters to elect RSP governments at the provincial and local levels as well, saying this would allow them to work in line with the federal government’s approach.
“Just as all of you young people came together and worked to give us a victory at the federal level, you now need to make another effort,” she said. “We need our government at the local and provincial levels as well.”
Mehta also urged locals to start voting for RSP candidates, saying the local elections were not far away.
“How much time is left until the election? Around six or nine months,” she said.
Home Minister Sudan Gurung has also been visiting Gorkha and appealing to voters to elect RSP candidates in the upcoming local elections.
During an interaction in a village in Gorkha on August 16, a local resident showed Gurung a social media post written by a ward chairperson.
After learning that the post had been written by a ward chairperson, Gurung said, “The local election is coming. You should think about it now.”
He then openly appealed for votes in the upcoming local election.
“The local election has already started,” Gurung said. “You will show it in the local election. You yourselves will show it.”
He also urged voters to remind leaders of other parties of their past promises if they came seeking votes, while saying the RSP had won the federal election only once and should now be given an opportunity at the local level as well.
“We were elected for the first time, and we have fulfilled our promises. We have come to your doorsteps and returned to meet you. We have come to villages to listen to your problems and meet our voters. It may seem like a small thing, but this has become history,” he said.
Gurung said those unable to deliver on small promises should not make bigger promises, accusing other parties of failing to fulfil their commitments while claiming that the RSP had delivered on its promises.
“Those spreading misinformation, you yourselves should show them the result in the election,” he said.
The Election Commission, however, has not yet begun any formal activities specifically focused on the local elections.
Election Commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said preparations that can be carried out before the election date is announced, including strengthening internal capacity and management systems, have begun.
“There are things that can and should be done before the election date is announced. This includes the use of information technology and other preparations,” he said.
“Formal election preparations begin only after the election date is announced. However, work to strengthen the commission’s management capacity has already started.”
The usual practice is to announce the election date around 120 days before polling day. The Election Commission has also been telling the government that it needs around two months to prepare for an election.
Based on this timeline, the government could announce the local election date in December. The RSP, however, has already started election-focused activities and public appeals.
According to party leaders, the Candidate Club concept has been introduced to select candidates for the upcoming local elections.
People interested in contesting the local elections can apply to the Candidate Club from Monday. The party has described the application process as the first stage of candidate selection.
The RSP’s central committee had earlier decided to open applications for the Candidate Club to select qualified, honest and capable candidates for the local elections.
Applicants will have to complete classes at the party’s Leadership Academy after submitting their applications. The academy will assess areas including political conduct, policy understanding and commitment to public service.
Candidates aspiring to become mayors, deputy mayors, chairpersons or vice-chairpersons can apply through the Municipality Candidate Club.
Those seeking ward chairperson or ward member positions can apply through the Ward Candidate Club.
Applicants will also have to disclose details about their personal and legal backgrounds, including verification of educational certificates, legal marital status, allegations of abuse or digital crimes, financial integrity, potential conflicts of interest, pending cases and other legal disputes.
