Kathmandu, June 21 -- Leaders from various political parties on Sunday urged the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to use the public mandate it has received responsibly and work towards good governance, constitutional reform, strengthening democratic institutions and protecting national interests.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the party's first general convention in Bharatpur, Chitwan, the leaders said the RSP had been given a historic opportunity to deliver meaningful change and cautioned it against repeating the mistakes of traditional political parties.

Nepali Congress president Gagan Thapa said established parties had often squandered overwhelming public mandates because of internal rivalries and the misuse of power.

"The manda...