New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) The Central Committee of Nepal's Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which swept the March 5 general election, is scheduled to meet on Thursday afternoon to elect its Parliamentary Party leader, according to reports from Kathmandu.
In all probability, the party will name the engineer-rapper and social media sensation, Balendra Shah, who it had earlier projected as the Prime Ministerial face.
The 35-year-old leader, popularly known as 'Balen', emerged as a prominent political figure after serving as the Mayor of Kathmandu and leading the youth-driven "Gen Z" protests that toppled the previous government.
Largely riding on his popularity, the centrist RSP, founded in 2022, won a landslide victory, securing 182 of 275 seats in the country's House of Representatives.
Balen himself defeated former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli in the latter's safe turf of Jhapa-5 constituency, signalling a dramatic shift away from Nepal's traditional political elite.
On Thursday, the elected members of the new House of Representatives are also expected to take oath before the central committee meeting takes place, chaired by party President Rabi Lamichhane.
The day is also being celebrated as Ram Navami.
Soon after assuming office, the new government will need to address the economic condition in Nepal and decide on ways to its recovery, public‑sector reform, and also job creation.
Additionally, immediate fiscal discipline and visible anti‑corruption measures will be politically decisive.
Simultaneously, there is the issue of tackling climate resilience, along with energy and infrastructure gaps.
Balen, who has projected a clear stand in favour of a "Nepal-first" policy, would also need to tread a delicate foreign‑policy balance with two powerful neighbours in the South and North -- India and China.
The Kathmandu Post, on Tuesday, pointed out issues in climate change and water security, calling for elevating water security and climate adaptation to the same priority as jobs and energy, given rising glacial melt, floods and drought risks.
Admitting that the RSP's election manifesto pledged several strategies to address climate change, the report said, "While these commitments are principled and align with Nepal's specific vulnerabilities, they demand a great deal of transparency and clarity," citing reasons.
The Cabinet will be under close scrutiny on governance, anti‑corruption drives, and public service delivery.
The change in Kathmandu follows mid-term election forced by Gen Z protesters demanding a clean, efficient and a non-partisan government.
Another area is infrastructure development and safety issues.
Despite the increase in tourist turnout in January-February that matched pre-Covid arrivals, a series of aviation disasters and lack of updated airport facilities has drawn criticisms earlier, with the European Union having added Nepal's civil aviation in its blacklist since 2013.
On the other hand, rapid spending on jobs and infrastructure risks fiscal imbalance; mitigate with targeted public‑private partnerships and donor coordination.
While Hip-Hop may have evolved in popularity on Nepal's streets following the large number of musicians lending vocal support to last year's Gen Z movement, it would take more than their music to set the government running as efficiently as is expected by the people now.
As The Kathmandu Post pointed out in an opinion piece on Monday, naming "11 battles of Balendra", where "Ultimately, his real test will not be in his decisions, but in his perspective".
It began by noting, "The tale of an extraordinary struggle between power, the system and hopes places Balendra Shah at the centre of Nepali politics as its narrator. This very week, he will formally enter Singha Durbar, the Secretariat of the Chief Executive. The story of reaching Singha Durbar is full of suspense and thrill, and has become legendary in its own right. Yet, this is also the message of electoral politics."
--IANS
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