Jun 4, 2013
With good rains, farmers of Kamdhar village in Maenbi, Lhuentse, started transplanting paddy from May 29Although many had hoped for the rains to stop before or at least on the day people had to go to the polls, the rains had prepared the fields for paddy transplantation for farmers like Pema Chimi in Lhuentse.
Since May 29, Pema Chimi, 59, has been very busy transplanting paddy on her land for the first time in Kamdhar village in Maenbi. The transplantation began after the community gathered to performed lhabsang and thrisoel rituals [... Read More]
Jun 4, 2013
Dechenphakha polling station in Sephu gewog saw low voter turn out in the morning due to rain (file photo)The ongoing construction of two major hydropower projects, a network of farm roads, drinking water, electricity, and irrigation channels built in THE past five years could not impress the voters of THE western district of Wangduephodrang.
This became apparent in the primary round on May 31, when PDP overshadowed DPT by a great margin of votes.
“We want to see a new government, which can give new shape to development,” Pem Dorji from Dangchu said. He said, [... Read More]
Jun 4, 2013
On Demand: Fresh and roastedOnce upon a time looked upon as a poor man’s staple, it’s now the best cash crop around
Like in other parts of the country, farmers in Punakha valley are busy with paddy transplantation season, and next month is harvest season.
Farmers in the valley will start harvesting maize in July. It’s a crop that earns them more money than rice.
It has been more than five years since some villages in Punakha went into maize cultivation, entirely [... Read More]
Jun 4, 2013
Minutes before voting: Voters wait to be frisked at the Dewathang polling station (File Photo)A few days before the primary round, most conversations in rural homes of Samdrupjongkhar mentioned the “peach flower” more than the “horse”, “cranes” or the “swan.” Going by the talk, it had seemed that Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa, which is represented by the peach flower, was quite popular, with many voters expecting it to go through the primary round.
But the results told an entirely different story. The cranes and horse had heavily dominated the peach flower. [... Read More]
Jun 4, 2013
Over 500 men and 380 women from across the country ran for the 6th annual coronation marathon on June 2 in BumthangWith over 500 men and over 380 women participants from across the country, the 6th annual coronation marathon was held in Bumthang on June 2.
In the men’s category, participants from Royal Bhutan Army (RBA), took all top three prizes. The first prize of Nu 40,000 and gold medal was bagged by Sangay Wangchuk, 29, of RBA, Wangduephodrang after he completed the race in 2hrs, 54minutes and 41seconds. The second prize of Nu 30,000 and silver [... Read More]
Jun 3, 2013
The block at Gathana was partially cleared yesterday
At 6:10 pm yesterday vehicles travelling to and from Gasa passed through Gathana, Damji, -four days after the road was blocked because of a landslide.
Continuous rainfall for three days had led to a major landslide on the Gasa Punakha highway the road engineer at the Damji sub-division, Pelden Wangchuk, said.
“Yesterday, we cleared just enough to allow vehicles to pass but it wasn’t safe for the vehicles to travel at night as the boulders keep falling,” [... Read More]
Jun 3, 2013
Dr Gado Tshering waits at the RO’s office for the results
Irrespective of under what circumstances he might have left the civil service, former health secretary Dr Gado Tshering was, until the primary round, considered one of the “heavyweights”, with good support in upper Haa, to sail through.
But the support was probably not good enough, for the people of Bji-Katsho-Uesu went for the People’s Democratic party (PDP), just as they did in Sombaykha constituency.
Prior to poll day, many felt that Haa would again stay “politically balanced” [... Read More]
Jun 3, 2013
Mobile accolades: DPT candidates Ugyen Wangdi and Karma Lhamo are congratulated by well wishers The electorate did not risk a new party but chose to stick with the tried and tested
Experience and party leadership were the reasons why Mongar chose Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) as their first choice to go into the general round, say voters of this eastern district.
In the primary round on May 31, dzongkhag’s 56 percent votes went to DPT, 22 percent to DNT, 18 percent to PDP and three percent to DCT.
DPT won maximum votes [... Read More]
Jun 3, 2013
Voters in Punakha wanted the horse to win the raceA strong anti incumbency factor, it seems, swept across the valley
When a female voter in one of the polling stations in Punakha on May 31 blurted out that she couldn’t find the ‘horse’ on the electronic voting machine (EVM), everyone in the room burst into laughter.
By late afternoon, the ‘horse’ was no laughing matter, as postal ballot results were announced. Much to the relief of most Punaps, it was the horse that led the race. [... Read More]
Jun 3, 2013
Member of Parliament, chairman (parliamentary committee), an eminent jurist, columnist and author Dr Abhishek Singhvi was one of the participants at the SAARCLAW conference held in Thimphu between May 24 and May 26. Kuensel met with him to discuss representative government, something he talked about as a panelist.
QWhat is representative government and who is it for?
Answer: This is a quintessential and too old a debate to be easily ended.
It started with Plato who tried to [... Read More]
