A former lecturer of Sherubtse College in Kanglung, Chheki Wangchuk, 52, intends to contest as the National Council (NC) candidate from Shogphu gewog in Trashigang.
He said that having worked closely with youth and rural communities in the east and driven by the experience of over 26 years as an academician, development worker and as management personnel, he is motivated to contribute in the national legislative and policy review process.
He has a Masters degree in Economics from Punjab University in Chandigarh, India. He worked as a lecturer in Sherubtse College for more than a decade.
He had also worked with SNV (The Netherlands Development Organisation) as a technical advisor for a period of nine years. Later in 2011, he became the first chief executive officer of the Agency for Promotion of Indigenous Crafts (APIC) in Thimphu.
After working with APIC for about a year, Chheki Wangchuk has been working as a freelance consultant.
He said that the inspiration to contribute towards realising the long-term visions of the country comes from the sacrifices of the visionary leader, the Fourth King, and exemplary leadership of His Majesty The King as he steered the country through a successful 10-year journey of parliamentary democracy.
“I intend to work with others to build upon the proud legacies of former and present NC members to address both constituency-specific and national issues if I should have the good fortune of representing Trashigang,” he said.
Chheki Wangchuk said that the perspectives he had developed on various concerns over the years after having interacted with people give him an edge to address the issues if elected. “My humble experiences of having worked in various capacities in different organisations would provide the people of Trashigang a choice of a candidate who would be worthy of their aspiration and confidence.”
Not undermining the other imperative national concerns, Chheki Wangchuk said that rural-urban migration and youth unemployment are some of the areas that require immediate action.
Coming from an Economics background, he said that encouraging entrepreneurship would go a long way in addressing the issues.
He said that the new priority sector lending (PSL) initiative of the Royal Monetary Authority is a desirable move towards tackling the issues of youth unemployment and rural-urban migration. “We have to ensure that PSL benefits the communities at large, which is why we have to further come up with complementing policies.”
Chheki Wangchuk is now on familiarisation tour in the dzongkhag.
There are about nine aspiring NC candidates from Trashigang.
Younten Tshedup | Trashigang