KATHMANDU: Nepal’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has issued strict internal guidelines to its federal lawmakers on the appointment of personal secretaries, banning the hiring of close relatives and individuals with conflicts of interest while emphasizing transparency and accountability in the recruitment process.
The directive, issued by RSP General Secretary Bipin Kumar Acharya, follows a recent Cabinet decision amending the schedule of the Act relating to the remuneration and facilities of federal parliament office-bearers and members. The amendment allows each federal lawmaker to appoint one personal secretary at the rank of a Gazetted Third Class Officer (Section Officer equivalent), with the position funded by the state.
In line with the party’s good governance policy, RSP has explicitly prohibited lawmakers from appointing members of their immediate family or close relatives as personal secretaries.
“The appointment of personal secretaries must strictly comply with the party’s constitution and core principles of good governance. Immediate family members and close relatives are completely prohibited from being appointed,” the directive states, adding that recruitment must be made from outside the lawmaker’s family circle.
The party has also ruled that appointees must not be engaged in full-time employment with any government or non-government institution or be receiving duplicate financial benefits. Candidates must also be free from any conflict of interest that could affect a lawmaker’s official responsibilities.
To ensure transparency, RSP has instructed its lawmakers to recruit personal secretaries through a public call for applications or an open competitive process rather than through closed-door appointments. The parliamentary party will prepare a standardized professional vacancy notice, which all lawmakers will be required to use.
The directive adopts a zero-tolerance policy on financial misconduct involving public funds. Salaries of personal secretaries must be deposited directly into their personal bank accounts, and lawmakers are strictly prohibited from deducting, collecting, or misappropriating any portion of those salaries.
The party has also warned against creating “ghost employees” solely to claim state-funded benefits. If such practices are discovered, disciplinary action will be initiated immediately through the party’s Central Disciplinary Committee.
Under the new rules, lawmakers must regularly evaluate the performance of their personal secretaries and submit periodic assessment reports to the parliamentary party. Personal secretaries will also be required to maintain strict confidentiality regarding parliamentary and party affairs.
The directive further authorizes lawmakers to dismiss their personal secretaries at any time if they fail to perform their duties satisfactorily, violate official codes of conduct, or breach confidentiality, provided the parliamentary party is informed of the decision.
