The report prepared by Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) General Secretary Dr. Mukul Dhakal has triggered waves, creating a hullaballoo inside the party.
In the 32-page report prepared by Dhakal after visiting 32 districts and talking to more than 2,000 people in 32 days, it is mentioned that public opinion is not in favor of the party at present. He said that if elections are held in this situation, the party's strength will deteriorate.
The 32-page report prepared after visiting 32 districts in 32 days has concluded that the public mandate is not in favor of RSP. He interacted with over 2,000 people from different walks of life during his review visit.
Dhakal submitted the report on June 26 to party President Rabi Lamichhane, who is the incumbent Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs.
With Dhakal’s report, RSP’s internal conflict has surfaced. Against this backdrop, Nepalkhabar talked to RSP Deputy General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti for his views. Excerpts:
The report brought by the General Secretary has created a hullabaloo inside RSP, hasn't it?
We had a party meeting on Thursday. We asked the party President to call a meeting and come clear on the report. There is no obligation to implement the report in a letter and spirit. But then again, it does not mean that good things are not to be implemented if they are in the interest of the party and the country. We have never said that the views of the general secretary should not be implemented in the party.
The general secretary has said he has been the target of political attacks.
Who did that? I don't think anyone did that. I am surprised why he said that. I wonder what made him say that.
The general secretary is pushing for the immediate release of the report. What's behind this urgency?
While half of the report is already public, the general secretary is pushing for the release of the remaining information. Would it cause him immediate harm, if not disclosed? Ultimately, the decision rests with him.
The general secretary had prepared the report by June 19. He kept mum on it till June 21, the establishment day of the party. He submitted it on June 26.
Had he submitted the report, we would have discussed it by now. He delayed submitting it. He should have submitted it by June 21.
It's around two years since the establishment of the party. Don't you think that the matters pointed out by the general secretary are serious?
I don't think so.
However, some of the things raised in the report are far-reaching, aren't they?
It is the general secretary who proposed that RSP should join the current government. RSP joined the government for the second time according to his proposal.
He should not have irked KP-Prachanda through the media. Everyone knows that criticizing them is useless. Rather he should have suggested the appropriate time when the party should exit from the government in the internal discussions of the party.
On March 3, he called me to participate in the government. And I okayed it even though I was not in the mood to do so.
If he thought that it was not beneficial for the party to join the government, he, as the general secretary of the party, should have told me directly at that time.
Further, he has said that federalism and provinces should be abolished. It was mentioned in the President's political report submitted in the meeting held in Jaleshwar on November 29, 2023.
Dhakal has said that he might be removed from his post. Is RSP reshuffling the general secretary?
I don't think so. He was in today's meeting, too. He was present in the meeting the day before yesterday, too. I don't think that the party is removing him.
How is the party planning to deal with this issue?
I've requested the party president to come clear on the report. If there are any outstanding issues, let's address them during the party meeting. Otherwise, a simple announcement at the meeting that discussion isn't necessary would suffice.
How long has he been showing signs of dissatisfaction with the party?
He was not happy on the day he embarked on a review trip. It was he who floated a proposal to conduct a review trip. And he did not seem happy even while floating the proposal.
It was reported that he was not on good terms with friends during visits to various parts of the country.
He wrote an article in Annapurna Post dated June 4. He expressed some of his grievances in the article which should have come in the report.
On June 21, he took to his Facebook account, raising a question about the party's future. He posted a status asking whether the party should be maintained or abolished.
He has revealed some parts of his report. I think he has had some dissatisfactions, and internal grudges against the party for a long time.
