Virendra Bahadur Basnet, director of Buddha Air, has officially launched a political party after two years of preparation. The party, named Gatisheel Democratic Party, has been registered with the Election Commission as of Thursday.

Dr. Dinesh Prasai has been appointed as the party’s chairperson, while Basnet remains a member only. The party’s general secretary is Piyush Kayastha. On the same day, the Election Commission assigned the party’s election symbol as ‘Deepjyoti’ (lamp).

Dr. Prasai is a sociologist and teaches MPhil and PhD programs at Tribhuvan University. He has also been involved in the tourism industry for 15 years. General Secretary Kayastha is an agriculture expert.

Key Provisions of the Party

The party has outlined several internal regulations in its manifesto:

• Term limits: Any party member can hold the same position for a maximum of two terms only.
• Age limits for committee positions: A member serving 16 years in any executive committee position cannot hold any future committee post.
• Separation of roles: Party office bearers and individuals holding public offices will be separate. Public office holders, including ministers and the prime minister, cannot serve more than twice.
• Transparency and monitoring: All party activities will be monitored through open-source software.
• Candidate selection: For upcoming elections, candidates will be selected from the local level up, ensuring broad participation.
• Leadership standards: The party emphasizes conscious, dedicated, and inclusive leadership at every level.

The party aims to promote transparency, democratic processes, and inclusive governance while preparing for future electoral contests from the grassroots.