Most definitely a game of chess pawns for the DPT and PDP in the final round

NA General Elections

The generals are wearing-thin the days as July 13 approaches on the political map where the primary round already left many holes for the two contending parties, Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to repair in respective territories.

The parties both have enough under their arms to boast of, but the two sides are more caught-up in strategies to pump steam for the general election day.

At this juncture, transpirations are any soothsayers’ or the so-called political pundits’ domain, but with the ECB approving candidates to switch parties, a probable phenomenon of horse-trading may be on the agenda for the two parties contesting the general round of elections.

This, if mathematically interpreted in political terms, means that DPT and PDP stand to gain from the vote banks of DCT and DNT if they strategize exactly around and where they need to tie-up the loose ends.

At the same time, if the two parties or the new ones are to ‘keep the faith’ with the very unpredictable Bhutanese voters, they just might have to shine their good sides no matter what the stakes are.

In the primaries the former opposition party had claimed victory in 12 constituencies and the former ruling party won in 33 constituencies while a new party the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) claimed two constituencies.

The DPT received 93,949 votes (EVM 77,679, Postal Ballots 16,270) to win the elections; the PDP received 68,650 votes (EVM 55,021, Postal Ballots 13,629) to become the second party to compete for the general elections.

The two new parties Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) and Druk Chirwang Tshogpa (DCT) received 35,962 votes (EVM 28,799, Postal Ballots 7,163) and 12,457 votes (EVM 11,576, Postal Ballots 881) respectively.

The final tabulations of results, it is no foresight that voters have not at all voted on the lines of gender neutrality or women empowerment.

Save for the DNT president who beat the rest of the parties with a huge difference in her constituency, Thrimshing in Trashigang, the same formula did not apply for the DCT president who could not hold her own among the North Thimphu candidates where the only male candidate among three women candidates took home the victory.

The DNT president Dorji Choden received 2,038 votes (EVM 1,316, Postal Ballot 722) to beat the rest of the party candidates. On the other hand the DCT president Lily Wangchhuk in her own constituency scored the least votes among the North Thimphu candidates, 144 in total from 133 EVM votes and 11 postal votes.

The DPT candidate Kinga Tshering scored highest in the women-heavy constituency with his 1,533 EVM votes and 142 postal votes which gave him a total of 1,675 votes.

The PDP candidate Sangay Tshoki received second highest number of votes with 1,338 (EVM 1226, Postal Ballot 112) while DNT’s Sangay Zam received 599 (EVM 564, Postal Ballot 35).

In another unlikely trend of events, the PDP swooped to snatch both constituencies from under what was thought to be a DPT domain in Wangduephodrang. Mostly, this little projection would be made because of the ongoing Punatsangchhu projects which accounts for developmental works that will hugely benefit the people and settlement in and around the site, and eventually the whole of the nation through the benefits that shall be reaped.

Simply put, the voters in this periphery were supposedly DPT-inclined, but things turned out differently.

The PDP scored an easy 2,759 (EVM 2358, Postal Ballot 401)in the Athang-Thedtsho constituency and 2,977 in Nyisho-Sephu constituency (EVM 2,643, Postal Ballot 334).

The DPT’s 2,977 (EVM 2643, Postal Ballot 334) in Athang-Thedtsho and 2,306 (EVM 2,073, Postal Ballot 233) conceded a natural defeat to the former opposition party’s votes.

In the Punakha constituencies where the former ruling party candidates in 2008 defeated PDP candidates in both constituencies of Kabji-Talo (where the former PDP president stood as candidate) and the Lingmukha-Toewang, this primary elections the DPT met with disappointment as it conceded defeat and lost both constituencies to its old rival PDP.

For the DPT and its Punakha candidates, the defeat in Punakha also comes as a double whammy as the former National Council (NC) Chairperson resigned from his post to compete as a party candidate while Sonam Wangyel Wang left his post at the Royal Education Council (REC) to compete politics under a DPT ticket.

The two DPT candidates had replaced Tshering Penjore and Namgay Wangchuk in the respective DPT turfs.

The former NC chairperson and REC Director received 613 (EVM 515, Postal Ballot 98) and 1,328 (EVM 1,151, Postal Ballot 177) votes respectively. The PDP candidates scored 2,663 (EVM 2,275, Postal Ballot 388) and 1,438 (EVM 1,136, Postal Ballot 302) votes to win in the constituencies.

Also in Haa, Bji-Katsho constituency where the DPT had fielded what it thought a veritably stronger and prominent candidate - there too it lost a constituency to the PDP. And without much of a pre-emption the DPT candidate in Sombaykha constituency (the former Opposition Leader’s constituency) lost.

In 2008, the DPT candidate of Bji-Katsho Ugyen Tenzin (now replaced by Dr Gado Tshering) secured a DPT win in the constituency while DPT candidate of then, Tshewang Rinzin (now replaced by Dago Tsheringla) in Sombaykha lost to Tshering Tobgay.

PDP candidate Tshering Tobgay received 1,346 (EVM 1,110, Postal Ballot 236) votes to defeat DPT Dago Tsheringla’s total votes of 390 from 326 EVM votes and 64 postal votes. While in Bji-Katsho DPT’s Dr Gado Tshering who received 836 votes (EVM 714, Postal Ballot 122) lost to PDP’s Kinley Om (1,313 total votes through EVM 1,115 and Postal Ballots 198).

The east except for Thrimshing in Trashigang, it was a DPT drive-by as it conquered one eastern dzongkhag after another.

The DPT lost a constituency to PDP in Bumthang while it lost two to PDP in Chukha.

In Bumthang Chumey-Ura constituency, the DPT received 787 total votes from its 617 EVM votes and 170 Postal votes whereas PDP beat its scores with 570 EVM votes and 91 postal votes which gave it a total of 661.

In Chukha, PDP trumped DPT scores with its 3,863 votes (EVM 3271, Postal Ballot 592) in Bongo-Chapcha and 1,769 votes (EVM 1,653, Postal Ballot 116) in Phuentsholing constituency. However, the DNT was the clear winner in the Phuentsholing constituency with its 1,807 EVM votes and 62 Postal Ballot votes which totals to 1,869 votes.

The article was published in a Wednesday edition of The Bhutanese on June 5, 2013

A macho upper house, not entirely a good deal

The outcomes of the recently concluded National Council (NC) elections have been a fairly sound and comforting bases for the second round ‘successfully-conducted’ by the Election Commission (ECB).

It has in the process ensured general thoroughfare for the young Bhutanese Democracy, in terms of its growth and health. Still, and all factors withstanding, the element of gender balance so fibrously addressed back at home under the GNH umbrella may have been bruised a bit, so to say.

In the recent elections five aspiring women NC candidates stood as contestants of which some were the former NC members. The women represented their respective constituencies from Chukha, Zhemgang, Wangduephodrang and Sarpang.

It would seem from the round-up of the conclusions to the second NC elections that the male tide of winning candidates swept clean all the seats of representation and the women got none. In all fairness of the democratically-conducted elections, dutifully attended by the nation’s voters who expressed the true messages in their hearts to choose capable and worthy representatives, a side of outlook that cannot be pushed aside is the all-male representation in the upper house.

The former national council representative of Zhemgang Pema Lhamo lost after securing 909 votes, the other woman contender Yeshey Tshomo lost with total 1,219 votes that top the second highest votes.

The incumbent NC representative of Chukha Tshewang Lhamu who secured 3,680 votes also lost the elections from her constituency. Another incumbent NC representative, the Wangduephodrang NC MP Sonam Yangchen lost with 3540 votes.

This in many expressed views could end-up in a linear decision making and policy discussions process or sessions, speaking strictly in terms of inclinations. That is the buzz in and around the contemplating and politicking minds as far as the upper house should be concerned.

The National Assembly (NA) election which is around the bend should perhaps see a better turnout for the female representation.

Not that, election should be structurally mapped to achieve a gender-friendly symmetry, but it is still an aspired objective in many countries, in the fields of decision makings which will eventually affect the masses as a whole which means, both the male and female ratio.

Elsewhere outside the country, even the European Commission has long recognized the need to promote gender balance in decision-making processes and positions and the European Commission is encouraging the process by various means.

The Women’s Charter adopted by the European Commission in March 2010 and the EU Strategy for Equality between Women (2010-2015) reaffirmed the European Commission’s commitment to work to increase the percentage of women in positions of responsibility.

The European Commission’s Network to promote Women in Decision-making in Politics and the Economy have even provided a platform at EU level for discussion of successful strategies and best practice to improve gender balance in decision-making positions.

The under-representation of women in many European parliaments is considered problematic from a Democratic and human rights perspective.

The importance of this is a familiar territory in the process of democracy outside Bhutan. Many states have taken steps to improve the representation of women.

According to an online literature titled ‘Gender Balance in EU Parliaments’, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women refers to the “critical mass” of 30 to 35% women’s participation. In addition, in 1995 the Beijing Process strove for 30% women’s parliamentary representation.

The European Parliament went further in a resolution of 18 January 2001, which refers to achieving a balanced gender representation of a minimum of 40% representation of each sex in parliament.

Some European parliaments are ranked among the top democracies in the world in this respect.


This article was printed in a Saturday edtiion of The Bhutanese newspaper on April 27, 2013

(OVER) SHARED-CONSCIOUSNESS

To go around 'poking' everyone on Facebook is fun; the after-effects from the ricochet, well... not so much. The blanket statement is of course very relative. But hear me out, anyway.

A miracle of technology that came to pass; the world-so-connected is even more tightly-knit. Everyday interactions have become so 'excessively-detailed'  and intricacies that are inclusive of microscopic-attention-to-details; make us want to pull the emergency hatch to 'oh god please kill me now.'

The level of shared consciousness alone, which has been achieved, its just magical! A joke cracked in Hollywood generates the same laughter here in Bhutan. Bhutan-so-far-far-away!(:-). considering how communications was such impossibility years back, it unfoubtedly remains an unbelievable feat [but the moment's over for the 'Once upon a good thing'].

SO What did spoil it all?...

Supposedly, the thing that happened where it originated... well it is happening here and now. Just like any easy wish that eadily came true, things have started to soak in the dye of undesirability.

Every day the 'annoying' gets a new layer of uneasiness.

On deeper contemplation, it's a 'no-brainer' how it all got to be so queasy. 

Person XYZ on Facebook breaks news followed by regular status-updates on details about morning rituals of gargling; characteristics and color of a heavily downloaded 'residue' in the commode. 

They are, simply said, not required-ingredients for general conversation, general salutations or ice-breaker at gatherings.


Them ingredients of news, being highly unpleasant, not to mention downright disgusting you are already scarred for the day, 'cause even if ignored they feature repeatedly in your chson of thoughts like a rolling movie imprinted at the back of your overly-interactive mind that is connected to the over-sharing world wide web of information.

Get this, in social gathering,  some conference or perhaps even in the streets, you can actually zero-in on faces and remember them as the fine netizens from the highly unsocial social media. All thanks to and, courtesy of  unleashed and unrestrained sharing on - everything.

Its a public consultation workshop you happen to attend, you notice the woman sitting ten chairs away is a familiar face. No, you have not met her personally! Not ever, but you  know she got bruised in love, she had a binge and purge session the previous night, and that she still has a "bad hangover from an awesome night-out."


And the mook in torn jeans who in his online profile describes himself as an extremely 'young at heart 30+ dude,' who goes around passing lewd comments on random pictures of people. In  reality he's a "30+ family man" donning decent apparel, with a kid and lady companion. Talk about self defamation... man!

If you look around, there's No such commodity in existence that goes by the name of Privacy. It is actually on a downhill dive from a mile high roller coaster. Surprisingly, there is no grievance over this little extinction... prying minds are engrossed in more peeping and open minds are liberally in their comfort-zones.

At work, its a head-on competition for time between adding friends online and deleting workload on the desk. Alluring gadgets and games to try out, irresistible applications to download or finish work before-time? - For an open weekend!  And while we're at that, almost 24-7, we can kiss our 4x4 vision- goodbye, cause eyes are the only peepers employable both on and offline. Take heed!

In your next soul-searching session, if you find yourself all empty and castaway from life (although you have 900+ friends on facebook and an unbelievably busy 'net-life' in cyberspace), do gather will power enough to really take a walk in the park, revisit real people.

There might be some awkward situations, especially about smart-ass comments and supposedly harmless wisecracks. Serious explanations ahead huh?

Still, the fate of many is not what is described here, because judgement is still swift in many cases. And luxury of sense does send them to reach for prompt 'settings' to keep wayward minds at bay.

Supposedly, one good aspect of the social-media, is that it does bring people together and keep them connected.

If you miss some important events on some days, you can participate online, with gracious wishes and generous adjectives. And although, people are disembodied and devoid of actual human-touch and presence, but a good level of that guilt is removed by tapping online substitutes.

In a similar situation to circumstances above, in an experiment; parents who didn't pick-up their kids on time were fined by the day-cares. The experiment concluded that the guilt of making very 'late appearances' is compensated by paying a fine, and hence parents showed up even later than before. 

Nonetheless, the highly-connecting network does have its shining moments. 

People would never have personally interacted or socialized with neighbors who are, sometimes a short-walk-away or just downstairs, but they have never missed out in commenting on photos and wishing goodwill on their message boards and 'walls' for their anniversary celebrations, new born's naming ceremonies etc. In fact they are even up-to-date about intimate future plans of strangers connected to them through other strangers. All thanks to the social media communities.