Opinion | More to RSP’s underage membership than meets the eye
Summary
The Rastriya Swatantra Party's underage membership issue reveals systemic youth engagement challenges in Nepali politics, prompting calls for a comprehensive investigation beyond partisan lines.
Key Points
- 35,257 underage individuals are reported as members of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, raising legal concerns.
- Nepal's Political Parties Act 2017 and the Act Relating to Children 2018 prohibit political membership and recruitment of minors.
- RSP attributes the underage membership to a technical error related to calendar system confusion.
- The controversy highlights long-standing practices of youthful political mobilisation via student wings in traditional parties, contrasting with RSP's digital-first direct membership approach.
