Democratic parties

September 17, 2012Posted inDemocracy19 Comments
Bhutan joined the world in celebrating International Democracy Day over the weekend. In Thimphu, a panel discussion was held to promote a better understanding of democracy, and to talk about why it is especially important for citizens to enjoy their rights but also to fulfill their responsibilities in a young democratic country. There's no doubt that such discussions are important. They will go a long way in educating our people; in building strong foundations for our democracy; and in making sure that, through democracy, the promises of peace, liberty and prosperity are fulfilled. So we must have more of…

Answering Sonam

May 24, 2010Posted inCulture, Democracy
Sonam’s question generated a good deal of discussions. And, most of you argued that we, elected officials – ministers and MPs alike – should not wear our kabneys and patangs after completing our terms in office. Similarly, almost all of you who took the poll that asked, “Should elected MPs and ministers continue to wear their "kabneys" after their terms in office?” voted against the idea. A resounding 220 of you said “NO”; only 18 said “YES”. I agree with the majority. But should we, in fact, take it still further? Should we do away with colour-coded kabneys and…

When did we know?

October 19, 2009Posted inDemocracy, Monarchy
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…

Noble king

July 21, 2009Posted inMonarchy
A year ago, on 21 July, during the first sitting of the Parliament after the signing of the Constitution, I proposed a motion to nominate His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo for the Nobel Peace Prize. To recall the importance of that motion, I’m featuring a photograph of our beloved kings, taken during the signing of the Constitution, in the banner. And, I’m posting a rough translation of the statement I made in the Parliament last year. On the 15th day of the 5th month of our calendar, His Majesty the King affixed his signature, in pure gold, to…

Social risk

May 14, 2009Posted inDemocracy, Monarchy
About a month ago I’d written about the Political Instability Index, EIU’s forecast of the likelihood of political unrest for165 countries. The Index ranked Norway as the world’s most politically stable country, and Zimbabwe the most volatile. 95 countries were considered “very high risk” or “high risk”; 53 countries “moderate risk”; and only 17 countries were deemed to be “low risk”. Bhutan, ranked 108, was rated at “moderate risk” to socio-political upheaval. Bhutanese Blogger expressed disappointment that I didn’t elaborate and commented: "I am disheartened that Your Excellency has chosen to blog this but do not have any opinion…

Cribbing right

May 7, 2009Posted inMedia
Responding to "Government awards media awards" kikisoso called me a cribber. This is what kikisoso wrote: The easiest job in the world is to crib. The task at hand is to provide beter and viable alternatives. OL, let us hear your alternative plans that are more well thought out than just wishful thinking. media people judging themselves will be a bloody melee …. I think we should learn the lessons of this award and make it more credible next time around - you know, no jury winners (what a balony), better and more broadbased jury selection, awards for ‘body…

Media awarded

May 4, 2009Posted inMedia
14 different prizes were up for grabs during yesterday’s First Annual Media Awards. Of them, I was especially interested in seeing who would bag the prize for the best editorial of the year. Editorials, after all, are important: they express a newspaper’s stand or opinion on issues. And editorials are powerful: many readers, especially in rural Bhutan, accept, without any questions, the opinions expressed in the editorials as the truth.So who was awarded the prize? The prize was awarded to not one, not two, but three journalists representing the three main newspapers in our country – Kuensel, Bhutan Observer…

Political Instability Index

April 8, 2009Posted inDemocracy4 Comments
The Economist Intelligence Unit has predicted that the likelihood of political unrest has increased for most countries since 2007. A total of 95 countries are rated as being at “very high risk” or “high risk”, and Zimbabwe is considered to be the most vulnerable of all the 165 countries surveyed. Only 17 countries, led by Norway, are deemed to have “low risk” of political turmoil. See EIU’s Political Instability Index.With seven of the ten most vulnerable countries coming from Africa, that continent continues to be the most politically instable region in the world.But South Asia doesn’t fare much better.…