Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane on Wednesday instructed the party’s newly elected lawmakers on the roles they were expected to play in the House of Representatives.

Concluding a two-day orientation for the lawmakers elected from the March 5 vote, Lamichhane cautioned them on various dangers as the party has come under the spotlight for its near two-thirds majority. After forming a new government, the RSP will work with extra vigour and energy so as to retain people's trust and hope in the party, he said.

Cautioning the lawmakers against engaging in “media trials” with the aim of becoming ministers in the new government, Lamichhane said that no decision had yet been made regarding who will be sent to the Cabinet and who will not. The party has an understanding to make Balendra Shah the prime minister but has yet to formalise the decision by taking necessary steps to elect him its parliamentary party leader.

“Among those present in this hall, some will eventually take charge of ministries. However, please refrain from lobbying to be made ministers or from presenting yourselves in the media as potential ministers,” Lamichhane said. “Because, as of now, nothing has been decided. Until this moment, as I stand before you, the party has not made any decision on who will be sent to the Cabinet.”

He added that the party will make the right decision. “We are aware of your expertise and capabilities. The party will consider both visible and not-so-visible members,” Lamichhane said.

He also reminded the lawmakers of the “right to recall” provision in the RSP charter.

Expressing his commitment to the democratic system, Lamichhane said: “I believe in the democratic system. I am committed to the current system and the constitution. Our understanding is that some reforms in governance will be necessary over time.

“If you treat the next five years as just another term, it will create difficult circumstances. I can see that some people are still running around as if politics will continue the same way—it will not. Nothing will function the way it did before. It’s time for a transformation. The Nepali people have given us this mandate precisely for that transformation.”

Stressing the jobs of lawmakers, Lamichhane said they were in Parliament primarily to make laws, or that was the public mandate.

“By changing those laws, roads will reach their homes, water will flow from their taps, electricity will arrive, and the internet will function. They may not know it, but you must. You need to know which legal provisions are obstructing basic services from reaching people’s homes. That requires study and understanding.”

Therefore, this time, please stop the dash for power—whether it’s lobbying for one person or another, meeting people just to take photos, or engaging in such superficial activities, he warned lawmakers. Since many RSP lawmakers are young, politically immature, mostly active in social media, speaking their minds before the media may put the party in a perilous situation, Lamichhane told them bluntly.

“I may be speaking a bit bluntly today, but your responsibility—and ours—as lawmakers is extremely serious. Even after such a long time since the constitution was promulgated, many necessary laws for its implementation have still not been enacted.

“There may have been various obstacles and challenges in the past, but the Nepali people have now given us a clear mandate—almost a two-thirds majority—leaving us with no excuse,” Lamichhane said, “so what obstacle remains now? What can possibly hold us back? The only thing that can hinder us now is our own intent.”

As lawmakers, Lamichhane told them, “you should no longer be visiting the homes of interest groups. Forming factions will not defeat the Congress or the UML, my friends. There is no need to create any factions. Under the ‘bell’ [party symbol], everyone can be united—there is immense strength in it. There is no need for factionalism.”

And constantly worrying about personal position—”where I will be, what will happen to me, what will be my status in the party, in Parliament, or in the government—if we cannot rise above this self-centred politics and move toward nation-centred politics, our condition will become even worse than that of leaders of the old political parties,” Lamichhane cautioned the newly elected MPs.

“Therefore, do not place yourselves at the centre,” said Lamichhane. “Politics has functioned that way until now—agreements were made in the name of national consensus, but in reality, they were political deals where leaders secured their own positions.

“Parties protected their own interests—but did they protect the country? Was the nation kept at the centre or not? That is the real question.”

At this moment, the nation is at the centre, he said, “it is our responsibility” to fulfil the dreams the country has envisioned.

On a serious note, Lamichhane said that while making any statement or doing something wrong, there is a [Gen Z revolt] martyr’s mother present here—please take note of that.

“Before colluding with any middleman, before even having a cup of tea or taking a sip of water, remember the martyr’s mother. She has entered Parliament after sacrificing her son. This is no ordinary thing.”

Sharing his experiences, he urged the lawmakers to be aware of the “middlemen who are influencing the country and the decision making process.”

About the RSP’s huge mandate, Lamichhane said there were efforts from various quarters to create divisions among the RSP leaders, and cautioned the lawmakers about rumours of a rift between him and Shah, the PM candidate.

“We must be cautious of such forces. There is a lot of maneuvering aimed at dividing us, toppling us, and pushing us towards wrong action.

“Blaming others—saying ‘others split us’ or ‘it’s a foreign plot’—must now end. Problems arise only when we fail to stay united and become prisoners of self-interest.”

Educating lawmakers, Lamichhane said: “We must think about the impact of what we say. Careless statements can have long-term consequences for the country. You are no longer the same person you were before—you are now a responsible Member of Parliament, a responsible political actor, a responsible representative.”

“Your role has changed,” he told the MP-elects. “If anyone still wishes to speak or behave in the old way, they are free to step aside. But if you accept this responsibility, your conduct must change accordingly.”

“Now, we must focus on making and amending laws and bringing real change to people’s lives. The need for connections and influence to access services must end. Whenever possible, seek treatment in government hospitals—it will help improve public services. We must experience the same problems that ordinary citizens face.”

Lamichhane also told lawmakers to be disciplined. “Being a winner means being responsible; it does not mean being reckless. Being a winner does not give us the right to mock or attack the opposition—that is not the character of a democracy,” he told the MP-elects.

“There is a perception that the RSP is often unruly, that its supporters are highly intolerant, that they resort to abusive language on social media, engage in personal attacks, and react aggressively to any criticism.”