Exactly forty two (42) days back, on August 2, 2023 the Kuensel informed the nation of the Election Commission of Bhutan’s (ECB’s) announcement that they would put in place a Committee that would assess the appropriateness of the Manifestos of the five political parties contesting the upcoming elections. The political parties have until 28th of September 2023 to submit their Manifestos for authorization /approval/endorsement by the ECB.
Close on its heels, barely twenty eight (28) days after the earlier announcement, the Kuensel reported yet another commandment from the House of Democracy - on 30th August, 2023 - that the ECB would be disallowing door-to-door campaigning by the political parties.
With the two important democratic processes firmly sealed and locked away securely, we are now all set to go to the polls. The last item that remains on the agenda is for the political party leaders to be ushered into their caves with the instruction that they may now start to sound their drumbeats and trumpet calls - that they are at last free to pronounce their respective ECB authorized party Manifestos.
In all likelihood this is how the Bhutanese political party leaders are expected to send out their bugle call to their voters to attend their party meetings where they would read out their ECB sanctioned party Manifestos
Pray, tell me, what kind of message does such pronouncements by the custodians of all that is fair and good in a democracy, send out to the world about the stability of our governance, our commitment to self determination, freedom of choice, and respect for the will of the people?
Particularly at a time when our Monarch is trying His hardest to propel the country to heights never even attempted before, what kind of promise do we hold for the potential global investors whom we hope to cajole and entice to invest in our country and its potential? Political stability, good governance, people with kindled spirits - a society capable of progressive thinking - these are some of the qualifying benchmarks by which the global community will judge us - it will not be on the repeated claim that we are a unique breed of people. It will not be because we are given to suppressive tendencies at the most inopportune moments.
A political party’s Manifesto is a most sacrosanct document – each of them would believe that it will set them apart from the common pack – on it will pivot their party’s very reputation, success and appeal to their voters. IT WILL DEFINE THE PARTY ITSELF! Thus, it is unlawful and unfair that the ECB require the parties to reveal and discuss their manifestos with them, or with a bunch of people appointed by them whose credentials would be, at best, suspect.
Who assures the confidentiality of the documents? Does the ECB have the competence to justify their stand on why a certain campaign promise is untenable? No law requires a political party to reveal their funding sources to implement a campaign promise. Thus no political party may be subjected to cross-examination on the issue.
In any event, who told them that they hold monopoly over intelligence and smartness - over those of the political parties and the people of Bhutan? I think it is best to leave the game of politics to the people engaged in politics on a daily basis. Novices acting God could very well prove to be disastrous.
Something that intrigues me is this: will the ECB have overriding authority on a sitting government? If not how can they prevent the elected government to NOT DO what they had earlier ruled was not allowed - or FORCE THEM TO DO what was promised - during the time of the campaigning? On the other hand, who gave the ECB the authority to decide what is workable and what is not? The political parties are not answerable to the ECB - they are to the people of Bhutan. And, if the people decide that a political party’s campaign promises are doable - they make the decision - not the ECB.
But in all this madness, what sticks out like a sore thumb ---- is the fact that not a single political party has risen to the occasion – to protect what is legitimately in their interest to do so. This leaves us with the question:
If these political parties are proving to be incompetent in protecting their own interests, why should we trust that they have it in them to protect the interest of the people of Bhutan?
Very aptly described Aue Yeshey, we have repeatedly raised the issue of vetting the Party Manifesto by the Independent Evaluation Committee, but this is Bhutan and those of us outside of the government has no say on the decisions of the ECB
ReplyDeleteEvey time I read about ECB's initiatives to strangle democracy with the pretext of making things better, I believe we as a constitutional monarchy is regressing. ECB seems to be mixing democracy with dictatorial rule and treating political parties like naive and idiotic inductees in a military boot camp, who will function in a sterile environment devoid of any political rights. ECB seems to be stepping beyond their constitutional mandate.
ReplyDeleteIt's one step forward by ECB at the cost of 3 steps backwards for Bhutan and Bhutanese democracy.
Election Controller of Bhutan (ECB) ever since it’s inception have been controlling and warning the political parties and candidates. ECB also allowed to move the census of certain candidates even when we had just seven months for the general elections to take place. The same candidate who was qualified in the primary round got disqualified in the general round just because he didn’t show up to the RO to submit his files in person.
ReplyDeleteOnly God knows how the elections would turn up this time with five political parties and when most of the younger members of our society are living and working abroad. So much to think of and pray everything goes well with the election just few months away…