May 18, 2013
Signs are already beginning to show of one of the things we most loathe about electioneering, the possibilities of political mudslinging in the days to come until the general election.
Political party presidents and candidates have been accusing one another of giving rural voters money, along with their pamphlets, to attend campaign meetings or for attending them.
Some party candidates have been accused of distributing gadgets like mobile phones, while a few others have been providing meals, [... Read More]
May 17, 2013
Home ministry’s recent guideline that stipulates how political party presidents on the campaign tours of the country should be greeted has caused some stir.
The discussion has emanated, especially in the light of the competition parties are undergoing in efforts to shore up support for the primary round of election, which is just over a week away.
While there was no qualms about “extending courtesy” to political party presidents, when they visited various parts of the country, [... Read More]
May 16, 2013
So the two teachers, who had put up their resignations to join political parties, got what they wanted.
The royal civil service commission, after sitting on it for at least a day, and meeting twice, decided that the two teachers would be made to resign compulsorily for joining politics before their resignations were accepted.
That is what the two teachers wanted in any case – to resign.
There was some concern that they might not get their retirement [... Read More]
May 15, 2013
How apt it was, this little initiative coming from a handful of educators to improve the experience and ambiance of classroom learning for little children at a school in Thimphu.
Political party presidents and candidates are claiming to be from humble family backgrounds, and how they were best placed to reach out their hands, should they be elected to govern the country, into the darkness and pull the hands of those like them into the light.
Mere [... Read More]
May 14, 2013
The four political parties have all kicked off their campaigns for the primary polls that is 17 days away, yet the ambiguities and technicalities surrounding the letter of intent refuses to go away.
Not that anything would change at this stage, after all the authority to do the scrutiny has cleared four parties to go ahead.
Yet the issue sticks, because one party was disqualified since it could not show all 47 candidates. And now, it has [... Read More]
May 13, 2013
Quite a panning, this Druk Green Power corporation’s proposed hike in power tariff is receiving from the public.
Whenever the public consultation is scheduled for, the authorities presenting the revision had better be prepared for one corker of a debate then.
As has been experienced in the past, and has been the case with any hike in services that people have been so used to receiving for free, discussions with the public and the authorities normally take [... Read More]
May 11, 2013
Long after letters of intent were cleared, and tickets to enter the primary round of the National Assembly election secured, some political parties introduced more candidates they confirmed.
In case of some political parties, a few of their candidates had joined politics much before the civil service commission accepted their resignation.
Yet in another’s case, talk of swapping some of their existing candidates with new ones is rife.
What has confused some of the Bhutanese electorate is how [... Read More]
May 10, 2013
Catching up: Party president Tshering Tobgay talks to supporters and members at yesterday’s conventionThe People’s Democratic Party (PDP) introduced 12 new candidates, and shared its vision for the country with around 700 supporters and members from all the districts, who gathered in the capital yesterday for the party’s annual convention.
The supporters, mostly elders, listened attentively to the speeches made by the party president and candidates, and interacted vibrantly, when given the opportunity to speak.
“It’s overwhelming to see so many supporters showing up for the convention,” party president Tshering [... Read More]
May 10, 2013
While the electorate, particularly in urban areas, are still expressing opinions on who came out on top in Wednesday evening’s live TV debate amongst the party presidents, the parties themselves are shifting gear to get into campaign mode.
There is still one more live TV debate to go amongst the parties, which will be held today, but party representatives, instead of the presidents, will be at the helm.
It should still draw the audience, because the debate [... Read More]
May 9, 2013
It would be no exaggeration to say that last evening almost every TV set in the country was tuned to watch the live debate amongst the presidents of the four political parties, and the question and answer session that followed.
There was a palpable sense of excitement among the electorate on how the presidents would fare, being pitched against one another in an open debate for everyone to see. And, since it was the leader of [... Read More]
