RSP leadership contest: Ganesh Karki calls for free vote by delegates
With several candidates withdrawing and pledging support to others ahead of the internal race, Karki said attempts to enforce consensus under pressure are against democratic values.
KATHMANDU: Amid growing competition in the first general convention of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), general secretary candidate Ganesh Karki has urged that delegates must be allowed to exercise their voting rights independently without external influence.
With several candidates withdrawing and pledging support to others ahead of the internal race, Karki said attempts to enforce consensus under pressure are against democratic values.
He emphasized that leadership should be decided through open voting rather than behind-the-scenes negotiations.
“Decisions should be made by votes, not in closed rooms,” Karki told Onlinekhabar, stressing that the essence of democracy lies in the independent judgment of representatives.
According to him, delegates should be free to use their own wisdom while choosing leadership. “They are here to vote. They will use their own judgment,” he added.
A number of aspirants for the general secretary post — including Kabindra Burlakoti, Jagdish Kharel, Pramod Neupane, Rajunath Pandey, Ranjan Darshana, and Ganesh Parajuli — have already withdrawn their candidacies.
The final contest for the post is now set between Ganesh Karki, Manish Jha, Sagar Dhakal, and Bipin Kumar Acharya.
Responding to questions about possible pressure to withdraw candidacies, Karki said political discussions are natural but he firmly supports democratic competition within the party.
“Election is the practice of democracy. In a democratic party like RSP, there should be more internal elections,” he said.
Karki added that elections strengthen democratic culture rather than weaken unity, as they build ownership and accountability within the organization when representatives freely choose their leadership.
