Year old paper...

A year ago, on 30^th October 2008, the media industry in Bhutan raised their standards considerably. On that day, the print media gave us our first daily newspaper. What’s surprising is that that newspaper was Bhutan Today, then the newest paper in town.

What’s amazing is that Bhutan Today has pulled it off. Since launching their first issue on the 30^th of October, they have managed to produce a newspaper every day, without fail, throughout the last year. The paper is still simple, but the fact is that they come out every single day.

The fact is also that Bhutan Today probably forced Kuensel, Bhutan’s oldest paper, to go daily as well. Kuensel, which was founded on 1967, was a bi-weekly when Bhutan Today first hit the newsstands. Kuensel, incidentally, does not produce a paper on Sunday, so – technically speaking – they are still not a true daily.

I congratulate the Bhutan Today team for a job well done, and wish them more success in their next year. Tashi delek!

Royal nuptials...

HRH Ashi Dechen Yangzom Wangchuck married Dasho Tandin Namgyel yesterday. I join the nation in wishing the royal couple happy marriage and tashi delek!

None of our newspapers covered this important event. They should have.

CDG concerns...

Earlier this year, while many of us expressed concerns over the legality of the Constituency Development Grant, the Gelephu MP had decided to use the grant to provide free boat services to passengers crossing the Mao Khola. “We are not supposed to use the CDG for recurring expenses. But considering this case to be important and for the good of the people I have put up the proposal,” he had said.

The CDG was used to ferry passengers across the Mao Khola. Yet, no one has questioned the use of a “development” grant for “recurrent” expenses. Not so far, at least. But, our government will continue to draw criticism for the CDG. Bhutan Today, for instance, has pointed out that the CDG is meant for “development activities in the constituency” and that there must be “issues and areas of development” that should have been prioritized ahead of the free ferry services.

And, earlier this month, the ECB had formally registered their reservations against the CDG. In a letter to the prime minister they argued that the CDG is unconstitutional as the Members of the National Assembly would be infringing on the roles of the executive and local governments; that the CDG undermines the institution of the local governments; that the CDG would constitute an Office for Profit; and that the CDG would compromise the conduct of free and fair elections in the future.

The ECB has recommended that the government “discontinue the Constituency Development Grant forthwith…” failing which “…an appropriate intervention through due process shall be initiated.”

High value...

“Magic!” is how tourists often describe their visits to Bhutan. Druk Air, dzongs, monasteries, farm houses, forests, gho and kira, red rice, mask dances, traffic policemen, archery, Mahayana, GNH, the people … anything and everything Bhutanese completely captivates the visitor. What tourists also love is the exclusiveness of a visit to Bhutan.

So it’s no wonder that, despite the global recession, the tourism industry has continued to perform well. But there is one big danger. McKinsey. The international consulting firm has already recommended increasing tourist arrivals to about 250,000 a year within three to five years. That’s five times what ABTO has projected. And, more than 10 times the number of tourists that would have visited Bhutan this year.

Yes, we need more tourists. But not that much. And, not so quickly. It’s easy to increase the number of tourists. But if we do, we risk losing that magic tourists so often associate with Bhutan.

Good news...

Shortly after the editor and six reporters had collectively and suddenly resigned from Bhutan Times, Wangcha Sangey, the Chairman and CEO of the newspaper, promised that he would not disappoint his readers.  And, true to his word, he has not disappointed. In the barely two days since the mass resignations, he, with help from K4 Media, has turned out a 32-page newspaper that is actually better than some of its previous issues.

Troubled Times...

Weak week

On 30^th April 2006, Volume I, Issue 1 of the Bhutan Times hit the newsstands. If you have that first issue, treasure it. Bhutan Times was, at that time, only the second newspaper in our country. It was started by Tenzin Rigden and Tashi P. Wangdi as Bhutan’s first privately owned newspaper. So that first issue will always represent the emergence of a vibrant private media in our country.

Yesterday, journalists at the Bhutan Times resigned en masse protesting editorial interference by management. The collective resignation should seriously affect the newspaper’s credibility. And, its ability to publish its next issue, due this Sunday.  Except that other journalists – yes, fellow journalists – have decided to rescue the newspaper. Apparently, Tashi P. Wangdi , who co-founded Bhutan Times, and his team at K4 Media have agreed to produce editorial content for the newspaper.

Volume III, Issue 50 of the Bhutan Times could hit the newsstands on 25 October 2009. If it does, treasure it. That issue could mean that private media is much more vibrant than we realize. And that fact is worth celebrating, regardless of who is right – journalists or management.

Paying attention...

When did you first know that democracy would be introduced in our country? That was the question I asked in my last entry. No one ventured a definite date. One reader, however, admitted that it was a “tough question” while others questioned the relevance and importance of the question.

Relevant or not, I think I first knew about plans to introduce democracy in our country only in 2004. On 17^th December that year, in Mongar, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo had commanded that: “The highest importance was also attached to the establishment of parliamentary democracy and a system of government that will provide good governance and fulfill the aspirations of our people.” His Majesty was referring to the drafting of the Constitution. A few months later, on 21^st March 2005, His Majesty informed the Lhengye Zhungtshog that: “The adoption of the Constitution will provide the legal framework for a democratic political system”. Most of us finally read how parliamentary democracy would be introduced when the draft Constitution was distributed throughout the country on 26^th March 2005.

What is important to note is that the Fourth Druk Gyalpo had actually announced the transition to democracy much earlier. His Majesty had made many references to people’s participation and political change, most notably on 10^th June 1998 (in the Kasho to the National Assembly Speaker) and on 2^nd June 1999 (during the silver jubilee celebrations of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo’s enthronement).  And, as early as 17^th December 2001, in Wanduephodrang, His Majesty commanded that:  “While drafting the Tsa-Thrim it is of utmost importance that we safeguard the security and sovereignty of our nation, ensure the well-being of our people and establish a democratic political system that will best serve the interest of our country for all time to come. One of the most important responsibilities of a king is to enable the people to govern and look after the country through the establishment of a dynamic political system.”

The transition to our democracy has, indeed, been uniquely smooth. So smooth that most of us weren’t even paying attention.

When did we know?...

HM always knew

Last week, Bhutan successfully hosted the first Regional Conference on Deepening and Sustaining Democracy in Asia. The Centre for Bhutan Studies and UNDP Bhutan organized the event together.

That Bhutan, the world’s youngest democracy, led a major international discussion on deepening democratic values is commendable. It shows how much we’ve matured, politically, since the introduction of parliamentary democracy in our country barely 18 months ago. It also shows how serious we are about our new form of governance.

Looking back, it is clear that His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo had carefully prepared us, his people, for democracy. Most of us now agree that the process started with the establishment of elected local governments – at the dzongkhag level in 1981 and, a decade later, at the gewogs.  Then, in 1998, His Majesty devolved executive powers to an elected council of ministers. And in 2001, he commanded the drafting of our constitution. More importantly, and in countless occasions throughout his golden reign, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo consistently commanded that people’s participation and political change were necessary to strengthen the sovereignty and security of our country, and the peace, prosperity and wellbeing of our people.

So to celebrate our democracy, I’ve recently been thinking about, and asking people two questions. One, when did we first know that democracy would be introduced in our country? And two, when did we actually embrace democracy?

The answer to the second question is quite obvious: most people see 24^th March 2008, as the day Bhutan reluctantly accepted democracy. To be sure, a lot had already taken place before the 24^th of March: A draft Constitution was prepared; that draft was discussed widely, throughout our country; the Election Commission of Bhutan was established; electoral laws were drafted; a mock election was conducted; political parties were formed; and the National Council elections were conducted.

Still, for most of us, 24^th March 2008 comes to mind when we think about the introduction of democracy in our country. That was the day when we went to the polls, in record numbers, to elect members to the National Assembly and, by extension, to choose our first government.

The answer to the first question, however, is not as straightforward. And, most of the people I posed the question to were, at best, tentative with their answers. So I invite you to think about the same question: when did you first know that democracy would be introduced in our country?

Jobs for Bhutan...

As Bhutan is a small country with a small population we must never allow ourselves to reach a situation where we are unable to provide employment to our people. Ensuring that this does not happen is an important responsibility of the government.

His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, 17 December, 2000, Trashigang

Jobless in Bhutan...

Great expectations

The results of the Labour Force Survey, 2009 has me worried: unemployment has jumped to 4%; and more than 80% of them are youth between the ages of 15 and 25. In absolute terms, 13,000 of the 325,700 economically active people are unemployed. And of them, 10,500 are youth. Youth between the ages of 15 and 19 are hit the hardest – 20.1% of them are unemployed.

So last week’s job fair was a good idea. It sought to boost employment by bringing employers and jobseekers together.

But, our labour minister’s statement at the job fair has me even more worried: He was quoted as saying that unemployment is not a real problem in Bhutan, rather it is the mismatch of available jobs and aspirations of the jobseekers.

I’d like to remind our labour minister that, mismatch or not, unemployment is already a real problem for many of our youth. Unemployment must be real problem if young men and women trek to the labour ministry everyday in search of jobs, and mostly return home disappointed. Unemployment must be a real problem if qualified engineers can’t find work. Unemployment must be a real problem if we expect our graduates to work abroad. And, unemployment must be a real problem if the very job fair that the labour minister addressed had about 9,000 jobseekers but only 287 jobs on offer.

Our government’s promise to reduce unemployment to 2.5% by 2013 is commendable. And it can be done. But not if we don’t accept that we already have a problem – a problem that is growing rapidly by the day.