9 June, 2009 - The position classification system (PCS) introduced in 2006 is again at the receiving end, with contestants questioning the recent selection of the secretary for the Dzongkha development commission (DDC).
High court judge, Dasho Sherub Gyeltshen, was selected as the new secretary through an open selection interview, but other contestants said that PCS was violated. “Dasho Sherub is a judiciary person. A high court drangpon can’t move from the judiciary to an executive post in the civil service,” said one of the five contestants. “The three arms of the government -judiciary, legislative and executive- should remain independent, according to PCS, unless it’s a royal command.”
Contestants said that the selection committee should not have even short-listed Dasho Sherub for the interview if they followed PCS rules. They told Kuensel that the interview was not at all fair. “There was no written test, which is very important to test one’s capability. Some people interviewing us were also not Dzongkha experts, who asked us all useless and irrelevant questions,” said one.
The contestants said that, to become the secretary of DDC, one should have studied Dzongkha literature and philosophy or Rigzhung. One of the contestants said that, for any kind of interview, it must be conducted based on certain criteria, like qualification in the relevant field and work experience for the past three years. “But officials of RCSC, during the interview, personally said that the interview wouldn’t be based on work experience for the past three years,” he said. “We feel that Dasho Sherab was already selected before itself and we were called for the interview just for the sake of appearances,” he said.
They said that the vacancy announced was for the post of a member secretary and, when the appointment order was announced, the post had been changed to secretary. “Instead of feeling satisfied by participating in the interview, I regret what I’ve done. Although we’re senior government officials, they made fun of us,” a contestant said.
RCSC could not be contacted for comments, although a written questionnaire was faxed to the concerned official.
Five candidates contested the interview that was conducted on May 22.
By Nima Wangdi
