KATHMANDU: Journalist Rabindra Mishra, who is also known for philanthropic activities, announced on Tuesday that he would open a new political party to promote system, transparency, integrity and meritocracy in the nation.

The BBC Nepali Service Head issued a press statement today to reveal that he was giving up his journalistic career to leap into politics.

"A group of committed people had for long been involved in ideological and strategic deliberations in this regard. This group has now gained the confidence to translate their work into action," he said, "Therefore, I have resigned from the position of the Head of the BBC Nepali Service to take up the mantle of this effort."

It is believed that some former bureaucrats, intellectuals and journalists are also on board with Mishra.

Details about the new party -- including its name, strategy and other leaders --  are yet to be revealed. Mishra said the party, which would embrace "Welfare Democracy and Liberal Welfare Economy" as its ideologies, would make public the organisational structure and other relevant information about the party very soon.

While jumping on the bandwagon of politics, Mishra, who used to give a hard time to politicians while interviewing them, is apparently trying to tap the youth who are frustrated with the existing political parties and their leadership.

"It is our conviction that Nepalis living inside and outside of Nepal who are frustrated by the decades of selfish, extractive, pretentious and non-transparent politics but believe that Nepal could still be rescued, will support us if we can lay a strong foundation of cultured politics. Our goal is to create a common platform to bring together honest and capable Nepalis from all walks of life for the sake of clean politics to transform Nepal."

"We want to make an ardent appeal to those who are not politically affiliated, to those who are politically affiliated but believe that the country cannot progress with the existing group of parties, and to those working for the positive transformation of the society by being affiliated to different social organisations to come forward and utilise our platform for the peaceful, graceful, patriotic and development-focused political uprising," Mishra said.

Press Statement

Leaving BBC to Enter Politics

Date: 17 Falgun, 2073 (28 February 2017)

Many of my readers and well-wishers know very well how strongly I have continued to argue, along with numerous like-minded friends, that transforming Nepal within our lifetime is impossible without first laying the foundation for cultured politics. Such a foundation, we have argued, should be based upon four pillars: System, Transparency, Integrity and Meritocracy (or STEM, in short) and should be within the ambit of constitutional and inclusive democracy.

It is our conviction that Nepalis living inside and outside of Nepal who are frustrated by the decades of selfish, extractive, pretentious and non-transparent politics but believe that Nepal could still be rescued, will support us if we can lay a strong foundation of cultured politics. Our goal is to create a common platform to bring together honest and capable Nepalis from all walks of life for the sake of clean politics to transform Nepal. By bringing a massive number of like-minded Nepalis together, we believe that we will not merely be creating just another political party that will come into existence but can never lead the country towards prosperity. Instead, it will be the rise of a leadership that takes the country firmly towards the path of total transformation.

A group of committed people had for long been involved in ideological and strategic deliberations in this regard. This group has now gained the confidence to translate their work into action. Therefore, I have resigned from the position of the Head of the BBC Nepali Service to take up the mantle of this effort. I will continue to remember the trust, love and support I have been showered with by ordinary Nepalis in course of my association with the BBC, my writings and my involvement in philanthropic activities. I cannot thank them enough and will also be, forever, grateful to both my co-workers and the organisation.

That very trust, love and support and the inspiration and motivation by my friends involved in the political homework have given me the energy to embark upon this new journey. Some of my well-wishers had advised me to join existing political parties rather than setting up a new one. I have reached the conclusion that doing so will only change me but not the country. Therefore, I have chosen this alternative and challenging path.

Very soon, we will come to you with the organisational structure and other relevant information about the new party, which will embrace Welfare Democracy and Liberal Welfare Economy as its ideologies. We want to make an ardent appeal to those who are not politically affiliated, to those who are politically affiliated but believe that the country cannot progress with the existing group of parties, and to those working for the positive transformation of the society by being affiliated to different social organisations to come forward and utilize our platform for the peaceful, graceful, patriotic and development-focused political uprising.

We are not ignorant about similar efforts, their weaknesses and failures in the past. Rather than getting frightened, we have learnt lessons from such endeavours. Besides, as most of us do not have any political background, we have not a shred of doubt that our journey will be even more challenging. But history is testimony that no country has undergone an overall change without an honest, far-sighted, strong and nationwide intervention by a group of committed people. We are ready – let us now appeal to you to be ready across villages, cities and even overseas. To start with, we urge you to be ready to form an at least 7-member group in each and every one of Nepal’s localities, which will be the foundation of the party’s organisational structure. We will be making special arrangement for Nepalis living overseas to join in this collaborative journey and also urge them to start forming ‘goodwill group’ in all town and cities around the world.

Even the countries that found themselves in much more challenging situations than us have been able to attain political stability and catch up with development and prosperity within 10 to 20 years. There is no reason why we should not be able to do the same.  Make no mistake – our attempt is not aimed at simply winning 10/12 seats in the parliament and indulge in politics. We want to lead the entire country towards total transformation and change the very character of our politics. We do not have the luxury of failing or doing okay. We are certain that we will be blessed with your well-wishes and support in this journey. We will, of course, be with you always.

It is our determination that no matter what, we will fulfil our dream of witnessing the prosperity and development of this country, which despite being extraordinarily rich in resources has been forced to languish in poverty and political instability for far too long. So that our posterity will not be compelled to abandon their elderly parents and go overseas in search of a better life, instead, they will be able to generate jobs for themselves and even the foreigners.

Rabindra Mishra

Former Head, BBC Nepali Service