Royal Address by Her Royal Highness Sonam Dechan Wangchuck

at the opening ceremony of the ECB BRIDGE Workshop

I am happy to be here at the Opening Ceremony of the BRIDGE Civic Education Development Project (CEDP) workshop in Bhutan. This is a wonderful initiative by the Election Commission of Bhutan in collaboration with the Australian Electoral Commission.

The field of democracy and good governance is one that has tremendous opportunities, and yet challenges. As everyone is aware good governance is arguably the goal of any democracy. In the case of Bhutan, the concept of good governance is one of the four foundations of Gross National Happiness. In terms of ‘Good Governance,’ the constitution is clear on the responsibilities and duties of the three branches of government in ensuring an environment that fosters such a state.

The Constitution of Bhutan was made solely keeping in mind the interests of the Bhutanese people, by trying to create a political system that would be best suited to Bhutan, and to ensure that all future governments would work towards providing good governance, and in principle to pursue GNH. Bhutan’s Constitution demands a lot from political parties, and future governments.

Bhutan has come a long way in establishing a nascent democratic society that has been intentionally paced to suit the needs of the people. In the last decade Bhutan has undergone several changes, none more significant than the move towards the creation of a democratic parliamentary system.

It is often stated that democracy must succeed in Bhutan. My view is that in order for democracy to succeed in Bhutan- it must be relevant to the lives of the citizens, and most importantly it must be beneficial to them.

Bhutan’s transition to democracy has several positive features. Firstly, the horizontal and vertical devolution of powers aimed to enable the people at the local levels to have a greater stake, and to be involved in the decision-making process. Another step was the election process. This opened the eyes of the Bhutanese to the process of voting, and electing representatives. The separation of powers as enshrined in the Constitution was another drastic step. The Constitution Consultation meetings allowed the people to have a direct link to the Constitution. These public consultations gave people the opportunity to express their views freely and to study issues of national importance to the country. These steps in Bhutan’s journey to democracy has prepared the people in its own way of practicing the rights of participation, voting at the local and national levels, and debate in the National Assembly as seen in recent years.

The next journey, and a challenging one at that, is to educate the population further on their rights, and enable a civil society that fosters the freedoms enjoyed by people in an intelligent and responsible manner. Civic education is pertinent for the better knowing and understanding of governments and their responsibilities.

The ultimate goal is to secure Bhutan’s future as a democratic state that ensures the wellbeing and contentment of its people. The ideal state would be one in which government and civil society work together to establish a standard of balance, and effective governance- that in turn will create an environment in which GNH can thrive.

Plato, in his widely known Republic, defined an ideal state as being governed by philosopher-kings or guardians. According to Plato, the sole purpose of the state was to promote the interest of the entire society, and the guardian was to override his interest to that purpose[1]. This will call for “thoughtful citizenship”[2]. A “thoughtful citizenship” calls for education. Education, in the sense that civil society must be aware and responsive to the factors that enable a state where good governance, and the rule of law, and conscious decision making play a role in securing the well-being of the nation, and the people as a whole.

The Media is often referred to as the fourth organizational arm. The media can play a powerful role in a democratic Bhutan as an instrument of public discourse and as a system of checks and balances. The stage of a free and independent media and press in Bhutan is still in its developmental phase. There is a need for these outlets of information to take greater strides at building an objective and efficient manner of informing the Bhutanese public. The medium of print and radio must reach the Bhutanese population with accurate and relevant information as a means of keeping the population connected with the issues and decisions that the government is making on their behalf.

One factor that is important is for the public to have adequate access to impartial information. Another factor is for society to enable the people to have all means and measures for voicing their opinions. It is one of the most important aspects of democracy that government decisions can be contested in public forums or in courts[3]. Therefore, in order to create a well functioning democracy the people must be engaged and well informed to exercise their rights freely. There must be innovative debates and dialogue between the government and the people, and the people must not only be limited to exercising their rights only during elections, but also during the functioning of the democratic processes of their society.

I am happy to meet our friends from Australia and International IDEA. I am confident that your collaboration and association with our country will grow in the years on our joint path to further understanding the concepts, and values of good governance and democracy. I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Government and the people of Australia for their continued support and friendship.

It was encouraging to learn that the participants of this workshop have been drawn from different sections of Bhutanese society. If I could impart some advise today, it would be to ask all of you to take a keen interest and participate actively in the workshop, with the larger objective of forming an understanding of the values of democracy and good governance in Bhutan. A critical mind is crucial in understanding our responsibilities and exercising our rights responsibly; to ensure that the democracy we create in Bhutan is one that has the best interest of the nation and people. The strength of a nation lies in its knowledge, understanding, commitment, and cooperation of the government and its people.

Tashi Delek!

Delivered at Hotel Zhiwaling, Paro, 25/08/09

[1] Plato, The Republic (HDP Lee Trans, 1961)

[2] Woodruff Paul, First Democracy: The Challenge of an Ancient Idea, Oxford University Press, 2005

[3] Hirata Johannes, 2004, “How Should Happiness Guide Policy?” Journal of Bhutan Studies, Vol. 12, Summer 2004: 1-22