Tshering Tobgay

Missing in representation

January 14, 2009Democracy

The day before yesterday we debated an important issue: roads. Roads are important as they are the lifeline of our country, and the only proven way out of poverty.We debated this important issue because the public wanted us, their representatives, to talk about the need to improve and streamline the technical designs of the nation’s roads.Who raised the issue? The public of Pemagatshel. Specifically, the people of Nanong-Shumar, and Khar-Yurung constituencies in Pemagatshel.So I thought it was odd that the MPs representing these two constituencies were both absent. They were not there to introduce the issue or to contribute…

Remote schooling

January 14, 2009Education, Local Government

The National Assembly, our nation’s highest legislative body, spent a good 30 minutes yesterday talking about a school in Gasa. The issue was tabled by the Honourable MP from Gasa, Dasho Damcho Dorji, the other opposition member, on behalf of the people of Gasa. The people want the government to reverse its decision to downgrade Gasa LSS to a primary school. The people argue that if their school is downgraded, fewer of their children will be willing to continue their studies, after completing Class VI, in the boarding school in distant, wetter and hotter Jeyshong. Lyonpo Thakur Singh, our…

Educating the centre

January 13, 2009Education, Local Government

Gakiling has 13 villages. Some of the poorest parts of our country can be found in this cluster of villages that lie along the remote parts of upstream Amochu. Together, the 13 villages have just one school – Rangtse Community School, which opened two years ago after Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck visited the area. None of the villages is connected by car road. Most don’t even have mule tracks. So the school in Rangtse is not accessible to children living in other villages. And the children can’t live in Rangtse, because the school does not have boarding…

Opposition in hot water

January 12, 2009Democracy, Political parties13 Comments

I liked Bhutan Observer’s caricature for two reasons. One, they managed to make me look content and happy. And two, Gyamtsho, my son, predicted my response. When his friends had expressed concern for me, he had assured them that I would find it funny. What did I do when he showed me the cartoon? I laughed. And the more I looked at it, the more I laughed.I like the cartoon very much. But they got one thing wrong – the opposition is not “in turmoil”.I wish we were. If we were in turmoil, it would mean that we were…

Deleting power

January 12, 2009Democracy

The “delete” key is powerful. I can undo what I’ve done. It gives me a sense of security. And a sense of power. I can, after all, erase a word, a document, a picture, or even my computer’s memory, by an effortless tap at the “delete” key. The “delete” key is also dangerous. Once deleted, the memory vanishes into the dark depths of cyber space. That’s where one of my emails went. It was from Europe. From a person who wants to meet me in April. Please send me your email again. Sorry I made a mistake! But, I’ve…

Attic antics

January 11, 2009Towns

I went on a fieldtrip today. I went to Thimphu town. Almost every building has an attic. And almost every attic violates Thimphu’s building regulations.Because they were illegal, earlier attics are discrete. Their builders went to great lengths to hide their attics, to make them look uninhabited.But because the first attics were not questioned, latter attics have become increasingly bold. Some are quite beautiful. All are displayed fearlessly. And some attics sport attics – doubled storied attics.Thimphu’s building regulations continue to forbid building attics for habitation. And Thimphu’s builders continue to build more attics for habitation. According to TCC,…

Bhutanese bloggers

January 11, 2009People

Dorji Wangchuk – writer, director, producer, social worker, and owner of a Centennial Radio – has started blogging. His blogs will be good. After all, he has both insight and experience.His insight comes from the wide range of activities that he readily engages in. And his experience comes from writing columns and op-eds. A good combination to make blogs interesting and useful.Whatever Matters! – maintained by MJ and Bhutanese Blogger – is another site worth visiting. They specialize in business management and finance.Then there’s Bhutan, 2008 and Beyond, maintained by Gelay, a photojournalist, and Bhutan 360, a tourism portal.Share…

Consulting democracy

January 10, 2009Democracy, Legislature12 Comments

The National Assembly has decided to amend the Livestock Act (2001) to remove the ban on the slaughter of animals and the sale of meat during the first and fourth months of our calendar. I did not support the proposal to amend this Act. I did not support the proposal for a very simple reason – none of us had bothered to consult the monk body. And there are about 15,000 monks. That's a lot of them. Enough to be taken seriously especially on issues concerning religious matters. For a vibrant democracy: consult. And consult widely.

Deadly numbers

January 10, 2009Health

My cousin, Lop Nob Tshering, died last week. He was a teacher at Dechenchholing MSS and had barely turned 45. He died at home, suddenly. Family and friends all agree that he died because of alcohol – he was a chronic alcoholic.No one knows how many people die at home from alcohol related problems. My cousin lived in Thimphu. And yet he died suddenly and at home. Imagine what happens outside Thimphu. Imagine the number of alcohol related deaths that go undetected. That number must surely be much higher than the number of people dying because of alcohol in…

Without alcohol there would be more happiness

January 9, 2009Health

Dorji died a few days ago. He was my classmate in Kanglung. He died of alcohol related problems.Dorji was among the 75 of us who entered Class XI in Sherubtse College, Kanglung in 1982. Another two of my classmates from this batch have also died – Devi Bhakta and Thinley Penjor. Both of them died from alcoholism.One of my classmates was recently in the ICU. He’s still recovering from alcohol related complications. At least three more classmates are chronic alcoholics. And many of us are heavy drinkers.Alcohol has already killed three of my classmates. And it threatens to kill…

What’s centralized

January 8, 2009Government, Local Government

Consider this: Nu 38.32 billion had been budgeted for capital investments in the 9th Five Year Plan. Of that, Nu 9.32 billion had been budgeted for the dzongkhags and gewogs. That was about 24.37% of the total capital outlay.Now consider this: Nu 73.61 billion has been budgeted for capital investments in the 10th Five Year Plan. Of this, Nu 12 billion has been budgeted for the dzongkhags and gewogs. That is only 16.30% of the total capital outlay.In 2002, after two decades of decentralization, the government was prepared to earmark almost a quarter of the total capital outlay to…

Not much to cover

January 7, 2009Media

I have no problem that Bhutan Times featured me on its front page today. Frankly, I’m flattered. But everybody else should have a problem with that. The article is definitely not front page news. While some readers may find the opposition leader’s New Year resolutions interesting, they are of no national significance. Not the stuff that serious news papers would consider front page material. However, the deed, so to speak, has been done. So let’s have some fun. First, the photograph. I’ll buy lunch for the person who can tell me where it was taken. For obvious reasons, I…

e-PIT

January 7, 2009Government

Yes! I can now file my PIT online. Actually not fully online, but electronically – download the PIT return form and send it in as an email attachment.I’m not complaining. This is a huge step forward. So, well done. I’m going to file my PIT electronically. Are you?Internet came to Bhutan in June 1998. It’s been more than a decade. Let’s see what I can now do online: I can read the news, participate in online forums; maintain a blog; check government announcements, complain to ACC, check if I’m a registered voter, download government forms, apply for foreign labour,…

What’s decentralised

January 6, 2009Government, Local Government

Consider this: each minister would enjoy entitlements and benefits totaling about Nu 9,942,000 during the 10th Five Year Plan period. This is at current pay scales. (See my conservative estimates towards the end). Now consider this: 40 gewogs would each get capital funds amounting to less than Nu 9,942,000 each during the 10th Five Year Plan period. This is according to what has been budgeted in the draft 10th Five Year Plan. Three of them (Soe, Samrang and Khatoe) would not even get Nu 3 million each for the entire 10th Plan period – in other words, each of…

Comment on comments

January 6, 2009Miscellaneous

I don’t want to moderate your comments. Your views, as far as I’m concerned, are as important as anybody else’s, including mine. That’s why I have chosen not to remove – or reply to – any of the comments attacking me. But, I cannot, and will not, allow personal attacks on any other person. These I will remove immediately (I've already removed a couple of comments on the PM). Also, every reference to His Majesty the King will be monitored – “…His person is sacrosanct” (Article 2.15 of our Constitution). That said, I’m not a journalist. So I will…