Sixth session

November 10, 2010Posted inLegislature9 Comments
The 6th session of the Parliament is scheduled to begin on the 19th of November. During this session, which will go on till the 10th of December, the National Assembly will consider the following bills: Child Care and Protection Bill Penal Code (Amendment) Bill Anticorruption (Amendment) Bill Civil and Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill Sales Tax, Customs and Excise (Amendment) Bill Public Finance (Amendment) Bill Land Act (Amendment) Bill Election (Amendment) Bill The government will submit reports on actions taken on the following resolutions of the National Assembly: Pay revision Zhaptog lemi Constituency development grant National minimum wage rage The…

Taking people for a ride

August 5, 2010Posted inLegislature
Bhutan Today has quoted MP Ugyen Wangdi, the National Assembly’s legislative committee chairman, of accusing the opposition leader of trying to “hoodwink the people of Bhutan” and taking “the people of Bhutan for a ride”. He was referring to my continuing protests over the government’s unlawful tax increases. Obviously, Dasho Ugyen is entitled to his views. And, yes, I’ll defend his right to express them. But I’m surprised at his views. After all, he’s the very MP who tabled the motion in Parliament to amend the provisions of the Sales Tax, Customs and Excise Act 2000 that he considered…

State of the Nation

July 16, 2010Posted inGovernment, Legislature
The projected order of business for the Fifth Session of the First Parliament for Bhutan had, among many others, the following two entries: Thursday, July 1: Presentation of the Annual Report on the State of the Nation, including Legislative Plans and the Annual Plans and Priorities of the Government, to the Druk Gyalpo and to the Joint Sitting of the Parliament. Monday, July 12: Deliberation on the presentation of the Annual Report on the State of the Nation including Legislative Plans and the Annual Plans and Priorities of the Government by the Prime Minister As we all know, the…

Taxing explanation

July 6, 2010Posted inGovernment
The prime minister devoted a substantial part of his State of the Nation address to justify the government’s recent tax hikes. And to discredit the “vocal few” who challenged the government’s ill-conceived tax policies. The prime minister: Much has been said of the fiscal incentives and tax increases in certain areas. It has been alleged that the government is being insensitive to the difficulties that these will cause to our poor and ordinary businesspeople and that they will suffer the most. However, one should not allow oneself to be influenced without seeing the full picture. One needs to be…

Working with NC

July 6, 2010Posted inGovernment, Legislature
The prime minister, in his State of the Nation address, on differences between the National Council and National Assembly: Already several issues have arisen between the National Council and this House which inevitably raised the question of seeking the guidance of the Supreme Court even before it was established. Now with its establishment, the wisdom of the judiciary too will be tested if indeed constitutional issues are brought before it. My hope is that, through the ongoing dialogue between the two houses, these issues will be resolved without judicial intervention. Very good. Now prove that there's some genuine commitment…

Taxing job

June 30, 2010Posted inGovernment, Legislature40 Comments
Breaking News! Opposition Leader calls for Finance Minister’s resignation! Actually, that's yesterday's news. That's when the opposition leader called for the finance minister’s resignation, during the budget discussions in the National Assembly. But, for some reason or the other, the news has still not reached the media. Bhutan Today, Kuensel, BBS and all the radio stations have been remarkably silent on the opposition leader’s demand. The media may be uninterested. But you, I’m quite sure, want to know why I proposed such an audacious measure. Here’s the story. Chapter 5 of the 2010-2011 National Budget is about the tax…

Public business

May 20, 2010Posted inLegislature
Members of the National Assembly met last week to consider points submitted by the local governments and MNAs for inclusion in the Parliament’s 5th session. The so-called “pre-agenda” meeting is an important conduit for issues of national importance to receive the National Assembly’s attention. We must take the issues seriously as they are an important part of our responsibilities. Article 10.2 of the Constitution requires that: Parliament shall ensure that the Government safeguards the interests of the nation and fulfils the aspirations of the people through public review of policies and issues, Bills and other legislations, and scrutiny of…

Update on fifth session

May 7, 2010Posted inLegislature
The National Assembly’s draft agenda for the fifth session of the Parliament was distributed yesterday. The Assembly will discuss the Water Bill, Financial Services Bill, Disaster Management Bill, and the Annual Budget 2010-2011. The joint sitting of the Parliament will meet to discuss and endorse the Tobacco Control Bill, RMA (Ammendment) Bill, Standards Bill, and Service Conditions Bill for Constitutional Offices. In addition, the prime minister will report on the State of the Nation. Please keep sharing your comments on these bills. And, don’t forget to check the National Assembly’s website periodically to see if new bills have been…

Civil liberties

February 11, 2010Posted inLegislature
Yesterday’s workshop on human rights awareness confirmed what most of us already suspect: that we don’t have serious human rights violations, but that, occasionally, human rights do get inadvertently sidelined. Dasho Damcho Dorji, who is the Chairman of the National Assembly’s Human Rights Committee, explained that instances of human rights violations were isolated and that they were: “not intentional” and resulted from either “ambiguity in laws” or “over enthusiasm by young officials.” But, intentional or not, the Human Rights Committee has decided to investigate all complaints they receive. They will also review legislation and government policies to ensure that…

Original sin

December 14, 2009Posted inLegislature
How is it that the media – the press and television – reported that the proposal to increase the salaries of MPs originated in the National Council? The National Council session was broadcast on live TV, yet no one saw them discuss the salary increase. No one saw it, because it hadn’t been discussed in the National Council. In fact, a member of the National Council I met today claimed that the first time he heard about the pay increase was when the media reported that the National Assembly had approved it!

Remote control

November 19, 2009Posted inMedia
So, BBS has not been permitted to broadcast live coverage of most of the proceedings of the fourth session of the National Assembly. Only the opening and closing ceremonies, and the discussions on the Anticorruption Commission’s annual report will be broadcast live. This is how it was in the National Assembly’s third session. And, like then, I am still concerned that the independence and freedom of the nation’s only TV station is being compromised. But what I recently read in the Kuensel got me even more concerned. BBS’s general manager was quoted as saying: “MoIC wants us to submit…

Answering questions

August 1, 2009Posted inLegislature
In “Questioning questions” Di asked, “Did Kuensel report correctly that you were in the end supporting the PM in that the ministers need not attend QT?” If that was what Kuensel reported, they are wrong. I did not say that ministers need not attend the National Council’s Question Time. What I did say, however, was that I appreciated our government’s efforts to accommodate the NC, as we, in the National Assembly, were told by the PM. What I also said was that, as far as the opposition sees it, the issue is between the Cabinet and the National Council.…

Turn on that switch!

July 10, 2009Posted inLegislature, Media6 Comments
It’s been one week since the National Assembly discontinued live TV coverage of its proceedings. And most of us have now resigned to the fact that the National Assembly’s discussions are not broadcast on live TV. Not our villagers though. I still receive calls to appeal, on their behalf, for resumption of live coverage – on radio and TV – of the Assembly’s proceedings. Today, for instance, Tashi Gyeltshen telephoned me. Tashi is from remote Merak in Trashigang. And he’s a yak herder. He called to tell me that he wants to listen to the Assembly sessions on his…

Third session

June 25, 2009Posted inLegislature
The third session of the first Parliament of Bhutan begins tomorrow. His Majesty the King will grace the inaugural ceremony of the third session. And the prime minister will submit his annual report on the state of our Nation to the Druk Gyalpo and the parliament. The proceedings tomorrow will be broadcast live by BBS. As will the entire proceedings of the National Council. But the National Assembly, as of now, has not changed its decision to prevent the BBS from broadcasting most of its proceedings. I’m still working on some talking points for tomorrow. But I’m finding it…