Democracy is a heavy responsibility: a Pemagatshel representative

A majority of the people said that they did not understand the nuances of the Constitution but submitted that the Druk Gyalpo should not step down at the age of 65 years because he was the essence of the kingdom's strength and unity. A former chimi said that, with the introduction of parliamentary democracy, it was even more important for the position of the Monarch to be stable.

His Royal Highness said that the people of the country were united in asking for this provision to be removed from the Constitution. He said that this was a reflection of the people's love for a special King.

However, His Majesty had repeatedly explained that the Constitution was drafted in the long-term interest of the country. If the Constitution had been drafted in the interest of the Monarchy the provision would have been deleted. On the contrary His Majesty had further deepened the concerns of the people by announcing, on National Day, that he would step down in 2008, at the age of 52.

His Royal Highness said that the Constitution had always, and must always, maintain the interests of the people as its highest priority.

Therefore, this provision, which His Majesty had personally included, could not be removed. There would be many Kings in the future and it was important for all the Kings to serve the people and the country. “It is my prayer that all the future Kings of Bhutan will be born like His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck,” he said.

On Article 2, Institution of Monarchy, one student submitted that the Crown Prince or Princess should be appointed as the Trongsa Penlop.

His Royal Highness said that the people should not worry about whether a Crown Prince or Princess would become the Trongsa Penlop. There would be many Princes and Princesses in the future and what was important was that their duty would never change.

Their only duty would be to serve their King and country. One woman from Dungmin said that the appointment of the Je Khenpo, under Article 3, did not specify when and how the Je Khenpo would retire.

The Chief Justice, Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye, pointed out that the tenure of the Je Khenpo was never too long because of the established conventions of the Zhung Dratshang. Above all, with the example shown by His Majesty the King himself, the cardinal principle enshrined in the Constitution was 65 years. His Majesty had conveyed the message to all leaders that lust for power and money and self-preservation was a disservice to the nation.

His Royal Highness reminded the people that the spiritual and cultural heritage of a nation was important for a small landlocked country and encouraged the older generation to impart, not only the physical aspects of this heritage, but a deeper appreciation and understanding to the younger generation.

On the Environment His Royal Highness said the people were aware that the sustainable portion of the country's and people's income was derived from the natural resources. Therefore environmental conservation must be safeguarded by the Constitution as an integral part of the nation's policies. These resources belonged to the present as well as future generations of Bhutanese. “When we hand over our country to our children we should not only hand over a secure and sovereign country but an environmentally rich country,” His Royal Highness said.

His Royal Highness also explained in detail the procedures for holding elections, rules on campaign financing, the role of the opposition party, the role of the interim government, pointing out that all these Articles were unique to the Bhutanese Constitution.

His Royal Highness repeated the need for people to use the authority invested in them to elect a strong and responsible government and to determine the policies that would direct the country's future. He said that there were many democracies around the world, big and small, old and new, and although they all had fundamental similarities the results varied in different countries.

While some countries enjoyed stability and growth, many were facing acute problems and some governments had lost the faith and trust of the people. In such cases it was the people who suffered. His Royal Highness said that there were safeguards in the Bhutanese Constitution to avoid problems faced by other countries.

On Article 22, Local Governments, one gup said that, like the dzongdas and dungpas, gups should be appointed by the government instead of being elected. Experience had shown that government appointed officials were more effective and efficient in delivering goods and services to the people.

The Chief Justice said that the gup's office was one of the oldest institutions in Bhutan so it was a tradition that must be preserved and strengthened. The essence of the democratic procedure was that the capability of a gup would depend on the choice made by the people as the gup would have to elected by the people.

On Article 27, Defence, one gup said that the draft Constitution did not define whether there would be a separate defence ministry.

His Royal Highness explained the steps being initiated by the government to reduce the strength of the standing army and the establishment of a militia force similar to the traditional pazap system. It was, ultimately, the duty of every citizen to defend Bhutan. The Chief Justice added that the requirement of a defence ministry would depend on the need and situation. With the army being reduced and a militia force raised it would not be necessary to establish a defence ministry at this stage.

Another chimi submitted that the Druk Gyalpo must be authorized to take over the reigns of government in the event of a political crises if political parties failed.

The Chief Justice said that His Majesty himself had explained to the people that there was no provision for the Druk Gyalpo to take over the affairs of the state. That trust had been totally and wholly bestowed on the people. If the government failed, general elections may be called to seek mandate of the people while an interim government would be appointed, under Article 19 of the Constitution, for a period not exceeding 90 days.

“Our people must not be haunted by the fear of unscrupulous politicians and failing parties but must express their general will by selecting and electing responsible and capable parties and candidates through periodic elections,” he said.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said that the detailed discussions on all 34 Articles and the submissions made by the people had been noted for discussions in the National Assembly. His Royal Highness said that His Majesty the King would be particularly happy to know that every gewog and household had taken part in the fruitful discussions that he had conducted in Lhuentse, Trashi Yangtse, and Pema Gatshel.

His Royal Highness reassured the people that there was nothing to worry about parliamentary democracy as long as they were all united, in thought and deed, in the service of the people and the country. His Majesty the King had already shown the way to a successful democratic governance so it was the responsibility of the people to live up to His Majesty's hopes and expectations.

In conclusion His Royal Highness expressed a special appreciation to people who had walked for days from villages like Mekuri, Dungmin, Chimong, and Naskar, in the far corners of Pemagatshel dzongkhag.

Tshering, 38, had walked for three days from Mekuri to attend the meeting so he could understand what the country would be like for his children. “The Trongsa Penlop has explained the Constitution to us very clearly,” he said. “But I am still worried that, because we are simple farmers, we may not be able to fulfill such high expectations. Now I am beginning to understand why our neighbouring countries have problems.”

Dorji Wangdi of Zobel said that the Constitution would force the people to choose between political parties. “It will not be easy,” he said. “But we have no choice. We have to learn.”

Yesel, an apprentice teacher, said he believed that freedom of speech was important. In the past many people who had ideas lacked the confidence to express them. Now it was not only their duty to speak out but to talk with a sense of responsibility.

Tobgay of Dungmin believes that, when parliamentary democracy is introduced, the people will be vulnerable to corruption and even oppose the provisions of the Constitution. “That will jeopardise the country's security and the people's well being,” he said.

A high school student, Loday Zangmo, said that the Trongsa Penlop had himself warned the people that corruption was already prevalent in the country. “That is another reason why we will always need a strong Monarch,” she said. “I don't think that political leaders can stop corruption.”