By-election: Tshering, 36, from Taba in Kawang gewog, Thimphu was nominated as the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate from north Thimphu for the by-election in October.

PDP’s executive committee nominated Tshering as the party’s north Thimphu candidate yesterday during a party meeting with the ministers, party workers, and representatives from the parliament.

“The party is confident that Tshering will represent north Thimphu well to fulfil the wish and aspirations of the people” Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said, during a press conference yesterday. 

Tshering, who also contested in the National Council elections in 2013 served in the Bhutan Broadcasting Service for three years before resigning to contest in the 2013 elections. The candidate has a B Sc in Visual Arts and Communications from the Patrician College of Arts and Science in Chennai.

After losing the elections in 2013, the former employee of the Bhutan Broadcasting Service has been managing and administering his sister’s contract works. The candidate who had been preparing for 2018 elections decided to venture into politics upon the recommendations of the people of north Thimphu.

“They told me over and over again that I must not choose the wrong party. They told me that I must join the People’s Democratic Party,” Tshering said.

The party has been considering and researching who should represent north Thimphu from PDP after one of the serving  members of parliament (MP) resigned last month. The party considered nominating one of its former woman candidates but had to drop the idea as she is not in good health.

“We had to look for a new candidate after she told us that she could not participate because of her poor health,” Lyonchoen said.

Tshering, as per the party, is supposed to be the best of the many aspirants who came forward expressing interest to contest in the by-election. When the party consulted its party workers on the candidate, even they preferred Tshering. The ministers during the consultation also made the same choice for their candidate.

Lyonchoen sharing similar concerns as some of the voters, lamented erratic representation of north Thimphu by former MPs. Between 2008-2013, north Thimphu went almost unrepresented throughout five years after its MP suffered from a prolonged illness.

North Thimphu’s second MP elected in the second democratic national assembly elections in 2013 tendered his resignation recently after parliament rejected his application to pursue long-term studies.

This, according to Lyonchoen could give some advantage to PDP. The party therefore is now working hard to ensure that its candidate is elected this time.

The party has also started working out on the preliminary works for the by-election. “We have decided to work hard to win north Thimphu in order to ensure a good, hardworking and faithful candidate,” Lyonchoen said.

Chaired by the Prime Minister himself, the party has also formed a task force committee to overlook the bye-election activities. “I have agreed to coordinate the campaign and election related works,” Lyonchoen said.

When asked about the prospects of winning the election, Tshering said that he has no doubt about north Thimphu. Lyonchoen said that since both MPs who were from Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) did not represent their constituency well, it is hoped that the people will now look for a candidate and a party who can represent them better.

“PDP has lot of supporters in north Thimphu going by the 2013 election poll where we lost only by 31 votes,” Lyonchoen said.

DPT is going to nominate its candidate from north Thimphu today.

Tempa Wangdi

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