LG – Tshering Tobgay

Politics of LG elections

July 22, 2011Local Government7 Comments

The local government elections are over. And the new gups – the heads of local governments – have started taking their charge throughout the country. But a dozen gewogs still don’t have gups. Goenshari in Punakha yielded a two-way tie. The election results in Bjabcho in Chukha was nullified as the winning candidate turned out to be overaged. And elections for Gongdue in Mongar could not be conducted as the lone candidate was disqualified for violating electoral laws. So elections for Goenshari’s two candidates will be repeated. And elections will be conducted in Bjabcho and Gondue. The remaining 9…

CDG giveaway

July 18, 2011Local Government13 Comments

During a recent meeting with gups, the PM reminded the local government leaders that, “The constituency development grant of Nu 2M … was not fully used in most gewogs”. And he advised them to put the CDG “… to use to benefit the poor and contribute towards alleviating poverty.” The PM makes it sound like local governments have full authority over CDG. They don’t. Firstly, local governments cannot decide how to use the CDG. They can only submit project proposals. The proposals must ultimately be approved by their MPs. And the ministry of finance can release CDG funds to…

Well done ECB

June 29, 2011Democracy1 Comment

The Election Commission of Bhutan have now completed seven rounds of elections. Of the seven, last Monday’s local government elections was by far the largest and most complex. It was also the most successful. ECB officials, including those in the dzongkhags, worked round the clock, for months on end, to organize the elections. They were assisted by about 150 senior civil servants who were on deputation since early April this year to work as observers and returning officers. And more than 5,500 election officials, most of them teachers, were trained and dispatched to man the 1,103 polling stations located…

Inappropriate

June 23, 2011Government, Local Government3 Comments

The Budget Appropriation Bill for 2011-12 proposes how Nu 42,174 million of the government's Consolidated Fund will be divided during the coming financial year. Central agencies will keep a good 74% of the funds. The 20 dzongkhags together will get about 20% of the funds. And the 205 gewogs combined will get barely 6% of the funds. And that includes money to build farm roads. Take away farm road construction, and the winners of the forthcoming local government elections will have very little money to fulfill their campaign promises.

Royal Kasho on LG elections

May 4, 2011Democracy19 Comments

The Prime Minister, on behalf of the National Council, National Assembly and two political parties, has brought before me the issue of the candidates disqualified from participating in Local Government elections. The 90 disqualified candidates have also jointly submitted an appeal on the same issue. The members of the National Council have submitted their concerns on the relaxation of the one-year mitsi requirement for candidates in Local Government elections. As King, it is my duty at all times, to examine not just the issue at hand, but to also contemplate the long term effect of any decision on the…

Breaking the law?

May 2, 2011Democracy12 Comments

210 candidates have been disqualified from taking part in the local government elections. These candidates, all of whom had been members of a political party, were disqualified as it has not yet been one year since they resigned from their respective political parties. Actually all of them had resigned from their political parties more than a year ago. All of them were automatically deemed to have resigned as far back as 2008 when they did not renew their memberships with their respective parties. But Section 206 of the Election Act requires that any resignation or removal from a party…

Right to choose

April 21, 2011Democracy

The Chief Election Commissioner has released a pamphlet "... to share a few concerns of the Election Commission and clarify certain issues" The Election Commission requests all of us to forward and redistribute their pamphlet to other Bhutanese.

Great expectations

January 20, 2011Towns

Tomorrow, registered voters in Thimphu, Gelephu, Samdrupjongkhar and Phuentsholing will elect their respective thromde tshogdes or city councils. As we discussed in my last post, the Thimphu city council – the new mayor in particular – will have to sort out the capital city’s water problems. But the mayor and his council will also have to attend to many other competing priorities. Sewerage, solid waste, public transport, roads, traffic, housing, schools, fire, parks and income generation are some of the issues that should demand the city council’s immediate attention. The thrompons of Gelephu, Samdrupjongkhar and Phuentsholing will find that…

Testing ourselves

August 25, 2010Local Government

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 that only the most competent can stand for the local government elections. And, that must be good. But I’ve been wondering: how many of our current MPs would have passed the functional literacy and skills test? I don’t know about my colleagues in…

Dasho Damcho on LG

April 15, 2010Government, Local Government

“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 was discussed with me and was discussed several times in the preceding NA Sessions as well. Unfortunately, most people are not aware of it because of absence of live telecast and the papers were not interested in covering these issues in…

Open Letter to Chairpersons

March 31, 2010Local Government

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 process. Photo credit: Kuensel