KATHMANDU, Dec 23: Dol Prasad (DP) Aryal has been appointed as the acting chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). A meeting of the top leaders of RSP on Monday decided to designate Vice-Chairman Aryal as the acting chairman.
RSP chairman Rabi Lamichhane was officially suspended from the post of Member of Parliament on Monday and is currently in custody after the District Government Attorney’s Office (DGAO), Kaski on Sunday filed a case against him on the charges of cooperative fraud, organized crime, and money laundering.
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According to the statute of the RSP, there are two processes for becoming the acting chairman of the party. First, based on seniority and second, on the recommendation by the party chairman. Lawmaker Dr. Swarnim Wagle, who is the other vice-chairman of RSP, is older than Aryal. If the selection of the acting chairman was based on age, Wagle should have been selected as the acting chairman. This suggests that Aryal was given the responsibility of acting chairman by RSP chairman Lamichhane. On Sunday, Aryal had a long conversation with Lamichhane who is in the custody of the District Police Office, Kaski.
According to a leader close to Wagle, he did not lobby to be selected as the acting chairman of the party on the basis of seniority because he was not interested in the position. “He has not shown interest in the position,” the leader said, “Since Aryal expressed interest, he was selected.”
After nearly two months of investigation, the police registered a charge sheet against Lamichhane in the District Court, Kaski on Sunday for cooperative fraud, money laundering and organized crime. The DGAO filed the case against 64 individuals, including Lamichhane, for their alleged involvement in cooperative fraud related to Pokhara’s Suryadarshan Cooperative.
RSP is currently the fourth largest party in parliament with 21 lawmakers, including suspended Chairman Lamichhane.
