RSP unveils local-level candidate selection framework, mandates exam and primary election

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has made public its "Candidate Selection Framework 2083" for the upcoming local-level elections. The 29-point framework, released on Wednesday, requires aspiring candidates to pass a four-stage examination.

Under the framework, aspirants must mandatorily take an examination at the party's Leadership Academy, which will carry a weight of 25 percent. Candidates must also secure 40 percent of the vote in the party's primary election. The consolidated scorecard will be made public only after all voting is complete.

Aspirants must submit a self-declaration stating they have not engaged in usury, cooperative embezzlement or cyberbullying, along with legal clarity on their marital status. Federal candidates and lawmakers elected in 2082 are barred from contesting local elections, while lateral entry is open for outsiders, subject to a cooling-off period.

The party secretariat has been given discretion of up to 15 percent in candidate selection. The framework provides that membership will be revoked for factionalism and transactional dealings. The party has said it will not allow economic status, political access, factional influence or kinship ties to dominate candidate selection.