Royal address

Posted inMonarchy7 Comments

His Majesty the King addressed the nation during the opening session of the Sixth Session of the Parliament this morning. The official transcript of the Royal Address follows:
Since assuming Kingship in December 2006, I have travelled outside Bhutan four times – each time it has been to India. Indo-Bhutan friendship is of paramount importance and something we hold dear. We must always work to further strengthen and deepen it. In October this year, I visited Kolkata and New Delhi. I found in my meetings with the President, Prime Minister, Chairperson of the UPA, ministers, government officials and leader of the Opposition, a common heartfelt appreciation for Bhutan’s achievements as a nation, and a steadfast commitment and pledge to strengthen even further what they feel is a model partnership and bond between countries.
We are presently undertaking the mid-term review of the 10th 5-year Plan. India’s assistance has been wholehearted and generous to the first development plan under our new democracy. On behalf of the people of Bhutan, I convey my deep appreciation to the Government and People of India.
Upon my return from India, I went directly to Bumthang to the site of the tragic fire in Chamkhar town.

Question Hour questions

Posted inLegislature
Responding to the agenda for the National Assembly’s sixth session, one reader, “sonam_t”, asked if there were any plans to discuss a “Right to Information Act”. “Truth”, another reader, asked if when Parliament would “… introduce Landlord Tenant act, which actually protects tenants.” Both the comments are important. And, since both of them will not be discussed during the sixth session, I might raise them during Question Hour. The Question Hour, which takes place every Tuesday and Friday, is an important mechanism in the National Assembly by which members can question every aspect of government administration and policy. So…

Funding BBS

Posted inMedia
The Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy and the BBS recently got together last week to organize a seminar on the nature and role of public service broadcasting in Bhutan. The two-day seminar, which was meant to discuss public service media and broadcasting in general, generated a good deal of attention on the way BBS is organized and run. Such scrutiny is good for BBS’s health. In fact, it is vital, especially if the Kingdom’s oldest and main broadcaster is to achieve its vision of becoming “A trusted public service broadcaster of international standing …” The BBS was delinked…

Anticorruption (Amendment) Bill

Posted inLegislature
One of the most important legislations that the National Assembly will debate during the sixth session is the Anticorruption (Amendment) Bill 2010. The National Council had resolved to amend the Anticorruption Act 2006 during its third session. And based on that, the Council’s Good Governance Committee and ACC officials carried out a review of the Act. The Act was revised to clarify and rationalize some of its provisions with other laws including the Penal Code of Bhutan and the Civil and Criminal Procedure Code of Bhutan. It was also revised to ensure compliance with the United Nations Convention Against…

Portrait of a Leader

Posted inMonarchy
Mieko Nishimizu sat in silence, absorbing every word on her laptop screen. It was the 16th of December 2006.  The sun had not yet risen over her home in the British Virgin Islands. And she’d just received the Fourth Druk Gyalpo’s last Kasho – a simple announcement abdicating the Golden Throne and handing over the responsibilities of Druk Gyalpo to our new King, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. As tears welled up in her eyes, she reminded herself that she had anticipated this announcement, not in 2008 as most of us expected, but much earlier, on the National…

Sixth session

Posted inLegislature9 Comments
The 6th session of the Parliament is scheduled to begin on the 19th of November. During this session, which will go on till the 10th of December, the National Assembly will consider the following bills: Child Care and Protection Bill Penal Code (Amendment) Bill Anticorruption (Amendment) Bill Civil and Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill Sales Tax, Customs and Excise (Amendment) Bill Public Finance (Amendment) Bill Land Act (Amendment) Bill Election (Amendment) Bill The government will submit reports on actions taken on the following resolutions of the National Assembly: Pay revision Zhaptog lemi Constituency development grant National minimum wage rage The…

MPAB delivers

Posted inMiscellaneous
I’m back in Thimphu having completed my medical treatment (I’m fully better now), and after visiting Bumthang where, thanks to His Majesty’s People’s Project, the victims of the recent fire disaster in Chamkhar town and the town itself are already well on they way to a full recovery. The banner features MPAB artists entertaining RBA soldiers involved in the reconstruction of Chamkhar. The artists also performed for the residents of Chamkhar. And, a day after arriving in Thimphu, they organized a fund raising event at the Clock Tower Square.

Mind your language

Posted inMiscellaneous
“Spelling bee” generated a lot of discussion. Almost all of it was good. The debate was lively. And most of the arguments were presented convincingly. But a couple of commentators got carried away. They started swearing, in English and in Dzongkha. This is unfortunate. And unnecessary. You don’t need to curse to drive home your point. So please, no swearing. No unnecessary expletives. Henceforth, I will exercise my option to censor comments that are abusive.

Fundamentally right

Posted inGovernment, Legislature
Several readers didn’t agree with my suggestion that the government should pay more money for the land that they are acquiring behind the Tashichhodzong. “Dorji Drolo” favours increasing the land rates only for the original inhabitants of Hejo, but fiercely opposes increases for the others, most of who would have purchased the land at much lower prices. “Dorji Drolo” also agrued that, since the land was “… earmarked for green area some 20 years back” the compensation rates were sufficient. I agree with “Dorji Drolo” that the original inhabitants should be paid more, much more, for their land. Many…

Disaster relief

Posted inLegislature
At 2:00 am yesterday morning, even as fire raged through Chamkhar town, the Galpoi Zimpoen’s office was already coordinating efforts to control the disaster. Three hours later, together with the Dzongdag, Royal Bhutan Police, civil servants, monks, students and local residents, His Majesty the King’s representatives in Bumthang were able to contain the fire from spreading throughout the town. By then, the inferno had left behind a trail of destruction – two men lost their lives, 42 houses were razed to the ground, 66 shops were destroyed, and 267 people were left homeless. But, at the command of His…

A voting matter

Posted inDemocracy
India’s electronic voting machines have come under some scrutiny by the media, civil society, politicians and voters. Since we use the same voting machines, our chief election commissioner, Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, clarified that the recent questions surrounding the integrity of the EVMs are: … nothing to worry about. “I’m not concerned because I’ve seen many EVMs and the Indian EVMs are the best,” he said, adding that he had inspected various EVMs at an international conference in Philippines, where international vendors showcased technology during an exhibition at the election technology conference. “We have no reason to be concerned.” The…

Paying for land

Posted inGovernment9 Comments
It’s autumn. And the Tashichhodzong, when viewed from the North, looks beautiful. Tidy terraced fields, lush with golden paddy present a perfect foreground for Thimphu’s auspicious dzong. Many generations of travelers before us would have, no doubt, taken in almost exactly the same tranquil view. And thanks to the government’s plans to maintain that lovely stretch of land, many generations of travelers after us could also enjoy the uninterrupted view of the dzong. To ensure that that piece of property stays as it is, the government has decided – and rightfully so – to acquire 42.32 acres of farmland…

Spelling Bee!

Posted inMedia42 Comments
Do you like quizzes? If so, here's one. But it's open only to Kuensel journalists. Study the clip below from yesterday's Kuensel. Then choose the correct answer. How does the opposition leader, Tshering Tobgay, spell his name? Tshering Tobgye Tshering Tobgay Tshering Tobgyel Bonus points for spelling the other opposition party member's name correctly.

Happy Dashain!

Posted inReligion
Yesterday, I joined Thimphu’s Hindu community to mark the conclusion of the nine-day Durga Puja. During the puja, the Goddess Durga’s blessings were invoked for the long lives of Their Majesty the Kings, and the peace, prosperity and happiness of the people. The sacred ceremony, which has been organized annually since 1981, is still conducted in a make-shift temple in the PWD Colony. So I’m happy to hear that the government has allotted land in Thimphu to build a proper mandhir. Today, I wish my fellow Bhutanese who observe Dassera, a very happy Dashain! I’m off to celebrate this…

Letter to graduates

Posted inYouth
“Bhutanese Blogger” left a comment on “Leadership of the Self”, a post targeted at this year’s graduates.  In his comment (don’t ask how I know his gender) – which happens to be a letter he’d posted on his blog last year – he talks about career choices, the need to develop a strong resume, the importance of cultivating useful networks, entrepreneurship and further studies. These are, indeed, some important issues that our graduates should ponder. So I’m reproducing his comment here to allow graduates to access it easily. …………………………………………………………………………………… This was written in 2009. Some figures have changed since…