Rastriya Swatantra Party: How Feasible and Challenging Is It to Secure a Two-Thirds Majority for Constitutional Amendments?

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has prioritized constitutional amendment in its electoral manifesto for 2079. The manifesto states, “Within three months of assuming office, we will prepare a discussion paper on proposed constitutional amendments aimed at establishing national consensus.” The discussion paper will include topics such as a directly elected executive, fully proportional parliament, non-parliamentarian ministers, non-partisan local governments, and an improved federal structure.

Although a clear majority to form the government has been established, whether the two-thirds majority needed for constitutional amendment can be achieved remains uncertain amid ongoing proportional vote counting. While the government had previously spoken of amending the constitution, law professor and constitutional expert Bipin Adhikari suggests that due to the proposer’s limited political strength, those intentions were merely conceptual. “The next government will have stronger capacity, enabling it to advance this process,” he notes.

The RSP’s manifesto commits to amending or rewriting the constitution under Articles 274 and 275. Article 275 specifically mandates a public referendum. Other parties had also prepared to conduct a decade-long review of constitution implementation. Professor Bipin Adhikari emphasizes that once expert opinions are submitted, the government will need to take action. “The government must proceed not only from a political standpoint but adopt a national perspective. Since this is a nationwide process, it is best for the government to advance it with broad collaboration,” he added.

The constitution requires that any amendments be passed by at least a two-thirds majority of all members present in both houses of the Federal Parliament. The RSP currently holds no representation in the National Assembly, whose members are elected by provincial assembly members and local government chairpersons and deputy chairpersons. With roughly one year left in local government terms and two years remaining in provincial assemblies, it appears that the RSP alone lacks sufficient power in the House of Representatives to pass constitutional amendments without broader support.