Testing ourselves...

The ECB’s “functional literacy and skills test” for candidates to local government elections is comprehensive. Aspiring candidates will have to take a written test to determine their computational, analytical, managerial and correspondence skills. And they will have to undergo an oral test to demonstrate their reading, writing and speaking skills.
ECB’s diligence will, no doubt, ensure [...]

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Posted by Tshering Tobgay in Local Government on August 25, 2010 10:32 pm | 4 Comments

Paying for support...

Dasho Nima Wangdi, director general of finance, justifying the government’s decision to increase the allowances and benefits of gups, was quoted as saying that:
The pay commission, which was not a full time committee, could be instituted by the government only for major systemic changes in pay and allowance structures. “In the gups’ case, the government [...]

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Posted by Tshering Tobgay in Government, Local Government on May 15, 2010 11:36 am | 25 Comments

Dasho Damcho on LG...

“Where is Dasho Damcho la …” enquired Sonam_t commenting on my open letter to the Dasho Dzongdags. “Where is honourable Damcho?” echoed Tangba.
Dasho Damcho’s recent response to their queries follows:
Dear Sonam_t and Tangba,
Thanks for your concern. I am still sticking around but like to keep a low profile. The issue that Hon’ble OL has raised [...]

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Posted by Tshering Tobgay in Government, Local Government on April 15, 2010 4:38 pm | 36 Comments

Open Letter to Dasho Dzongdags...

Dear Dasho:
I am writing about a matter of grave importance: the involvement of political parties in local governments.
You will recall that, during your recent annual conference, the Prime Minister called for party workers to be involved in the development process at the local levels. And, that he requested for party workers to be invited to [...]

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Posted by Tshering Tobgay in Local Government on April 2, 2010 7:43 am | 14 Comments

Open Letter to Chairpersons...

Like last year, the opposition party was again left out of the annual conference for local government chairpersons.
It was important to meet them. And it would have been useful. But I couldn’t. So I’m sending them an open letter expressing my concerns over the CDG and the inclusion of party workers in the local development [...]

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Posted by Tshering Tobgay in Local Government on March 31, 2010 4:16 pm | 17 Comments

Talk about towns...

Thimphu Thromde

Yesterday, the government proposed a motion in the National Assembly to endorse a list of thromdes (urban settlements). Thromdes, along with gewogs and dzongkhags, form our local governments. But the Local Government Bill, which describes different types of thromdes, has not yet fully completed its passage in Parliament as required by Article 13 of the [...]

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Posted by Tshering Tobgay in Legislature, Local Government, Towns on November 25, 2009 10:23 pm | No Comments

Parliament endorses LG bill...

All 67 MPs present at the extraordinary sitting of the Parliament voted “yes” to unanimously pass the Local Government Bill.  The Bill had been narrowly rejected by the Parliament during its third session about six weeks ago.
The extraordinary sitting of the Parliament was commanded by His Majesty the King as a special case to reconsider [...]

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Posted by Tshering Tobgay in Legislature, Local Government on September 11, 2009 10:39 pm | 4 Comments

Questioning change...

Managing markets

So the Cabinet has directed the Ministry of Agriculture to take over the Centenary Farmers’ Market. Apparently the Cabinet had decided that the Thimphu City Corporation was not managing the farmers’ market properly.
The government’s intention is good. They want to ensure that the farmers’ market is well managed; that it is hygienic; and that it [...]

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Posted by Tshering Tobgay in Government, Local Government on September 10, 2009 11:47 pm | 6 Comments

Good local government...

local leaders

Yesterday, I was in Haa. I’d gone there to observe part of the Dzongkhag Yargay Tshogdu that was in session since the 19th of May. And to receive instructions from the members of local government’s highest body in my dzongkhag.
During the past year, there’s been a lot of talk about local governments, especially about their [...]

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Posted by Tshering Tobgay in Local Government on May 21, 2009 10:37 am | 5 Comments

Meeting gups...

Many of our readers expressed concerns about the opposition being left out of the 5th annual meeting of the Dzongkhag Tshogdu and Gewog Tshogde Chairpersons that ended today. Some were obviously outraged. And a few suggested that the opposition organize a separate meeting with the gups.
I appreciate your concerns. And your advice. Thank you.
We’ve [...]

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Posted by Tshering Tobgay in Local Government on April 18, 2009 9:12 pm | 2 Comments

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