Skip to main content

Bhutan's ruling party brands opposition as anti-national and un patriotic.


In Bhutan there are only two parties in the government formed after the first election in May 2008. The ruling party that has overwhelming majorty is Druk Puensum Tshogpa- DPT. The 2nd election is on 23rd April 2013.


The opposition party- the People's Democratic Party- PDP won only three seats in the parliament and one out it was later lost in conflict. Its leader, the former minister and the in-law of the king shy away after loosing the election. His subordinate, Tshering Tongay found the first five year term very difficult.


 He says, “The opposition party bore the brunt of many attacks inside and outside the Parliament to an extent that we were called unpatriotic and anti-national,” he said. The fact that we could not work together and the opposition was excluded is a regret to us.”


Below is his dillemma's from kuensel 




Opposition’s accounts of its first five-year term 

OLThe opposition leader and Damchoe Dorji
The opposition leader yesterday shared his thoughts as he reflected on the role the opposition party People’s Democratic Party (PDP) played and a formidable responsibility it shouldered as it faced the overwhelming Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) majority.
Opposition leader Tshering Tobgay said it was difficult and worrying when they started off with only two members, although that minority gradually provided the two, additional impetus to assume a greater responsibility.
The opposition’s intensions, he said was never to go against the government but to question them when the need arose.
“Whenever the government was wrong, we took it as a responsibility to stand against them but also strongly supported them for the good works,” he said. “All that was for the well being of people and the country.”
Along with the government, the opposition also to be dissolved today, Tshering Tobgay said the party served their term well and played its part just as well in strengthening democracy.
“In the past five year’s of the opposition party’s tenure, we hope people are happy with our contribution,” he said. “To the people, we seek forgiveness for the mistakes we might have made.”
The opposition leader also said PDP was bringing in experienced, capable and committed candidates with the hope of elevating the party to a level it did in 2008.
His colleague Damchoe Dorji, speaking on the challenges the party faced said their biggest challenge had always been their limited representation in the assembly and the Parliament.
“It would have been better if we had more members, but despite that we served the people, country and the Parliament to the best of our abilities,” he said.
He also explained that inadequate resources to carry out their responsibilities, keeping the party afloat and clearing debts incurred in 2008 were other major challenges.
Opposition leader added that the concept of opposition and opposing the government was very new, unacceptable and challenging.
“In the early days, we were accused of opposing too much but we did find a balance,” he said, adding that if they opposed too much, the institution of opposition would lose its credibility because of which they had to hold back many a time.
“The two members had the responsibility of not just introducing the concept but making sure people accepted it as well,” he said.
One of the regrets the party had, Tshering Tobgay said was that in spite of the opposition’s efforts to reach out to the government, relationship with the ruling party always remained divisive.
“The opposition party bore the brunt of many attacks inside and outside the Parliament to an extent that we were called unpatriotic and anti-national,” he said. The fact that we could not work together and the opposition was excluded is a regret to us.”
However, the most satisfying part of the opposition’s tenure, Damchoe Dorji said was being able to fulfill the opposition party’s mandate, winning the constitutional case and defending the Constitution among others.
Tshering Tobgay added the satisfaction did not come because they won the constitutional case, but to have seen the institutions of democracy play their respective roles.
“Despite the government being so powerful, the system worked and that is a cause for a lot of satisfaction,” he said.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Raping minors in Bhutan's compassionate Buddhism

23-8014, Netherlands . Compassionate Buddhists, raping the minors in Bhutan has been growing wildly. Rape, which was once one of  the government’s tool to execute  forcible exile in order to reduce population of the Hindu minority citizens has grown up as a serious social problem in the Buddhist communities where addicted rapists continued their recur. Counting only the reported cases, 13 minors are raped in 5 months, 35 minors a year. This means more than 3 minors are raped every month. The actual number of the rape cases against the minors must be quite higher than this because most of the crime is concealed both by the government machinery and the victim themselves. If the rape of the minors is already so rampant, considering unusual and merciless act against the innocent girl child, raping adult girls must be going on wildly in Bhutan for many years. More awesome behind the act of raping minors is the fact that the rapist are mostly the ones closely related to the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Angkor: The India’s great influence of the past in Cambodia

This is research report,  used to produce a documentary film by OHM en Rob Hof. The documentary was broadcasted on 12/12/2007 on Nederland1 TV Channel. Scroll down to see in English>> Dit is een van mijn literatuuronderzoek rapport voor  een documentairfilm.  Aan de hand van dit rapport over invloed van India in ASEAN heeft OHM en RobHof Film een documentair gemaakt. Het was uitdezonden op Nederlands 2 op 12 december 2007 zie die film:  India buiten India Angkor:    India buiten India Samenvatting van de repport. De tempels van Angkor zijn in circa negen honderd jaar geleden opgebouwd  door verscheidene Khmervorsten. Daardoor verschillen ze duidelijk in bouwstijl en zijn er zowel hindoeïstische als boeddhistische tempels te zien. Het was al jaren in de bos geheim gebleven.  In de loop van de jaren zijn er veel boeken verschenen over de tempel Angkor. Zo zijn er schrijvers geweest die beweren dat het een B...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nice to be under Orange than a Raven beak

The Queens day 2013.   Since 1890,  the 30 th  April 2013  is historical for having a king of Dutch .  Now we the Dutch people have a nice king, Willem Alexander, so dear and caring to indigenous public and immigrants equally, as his mother queen Beatrix. Long live the highly esteem  Orange  lineage. Three days after celebrating his 46 th  birthday, Willem Alexander ascended to the throne on the Queen’s day with an investiture ceremony. Queen Beatrix abdicates her position signing the official manuscript. Although it is not an ecclesiastical ceremony, nor coronation, held in the Nieuwe Kerk in  Amsterdam , a special sitting of the upper and lower houses of parliament hear the king Willem-Alexander promise to uphold the constitution. King Willem Alexander with the family. Foto: Dutchnews.nl The new king doesn’t put on, the crown, but the crown - symbolising sovereignty and dignity, the sceptre for his authority and the orb (th...
Post a Comment
Read more