Soon after its leader Balendra Shah assumed office as prime minister on Friday, the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) warned civil servants and bureaucrats against influencing the administrative system.

Issuing a statement on Friday, party general secretary Kabindra Burlakoti stated that the party believes the sole duty of the civil servant is public service, and their only identity should be professionalism.

“Any attempt to influence the administrative mechanism under the guise of any political party or power centre goes against our principles and policies. We firmly hold that the civil service should be operated based on meritocracy, and employees should be accountable only to the state and the people,” reads the statement.

The party said it wants to send a clear message that the culture of biased, fearful, or partisan functioning within the administration should end.

The party has appealed to all civil servants to remain neutral, impartial, and responsible, and serve the public without political influence.

According to the statement, the party, since its inception, has consistently held that the country’s public administration should be free from political interference, remain professional, and accountable.

The party also said it is aware of reports that various groups or campaigns operating within the civil service are attempting to create confusion by associating the RSP and its leadership with such activities.

The RSP, since its inception, has been against any kind of trade unionism within the bureaucracy and will not promote any kind of party-based associations, the statement issued by Burlakoti said.

“If anyone is trying to further their own interests by associating the name of our party and leadership, we sincerely urge all employees and stakeholders not to be misled,” the statement added.