If the run up to 24th march – the D-Day had been marred with all things politically dirty the immediate post election period is no better. People of all shades from the self claimed political analyst, tshogpas, bar hoppers to rumor mongers have been making the rounds fanning the already festering wounds.
Even in print media and the FM Radios we hear accusations – all pointed at the people who made it to the polling stations on the 24th March, 2008. There is a barrage of names. We are hypocrites; we behaved like herds of sheep without opinion of our own. We rejoiced in the rumors ignoring to read the manifestos. We were a selfish lot who chose personal interest over national interest. We were ignorant as was displayed in the results of the National Assembly. Statistically, that makes two out of every three Bhutanese unworthy sons and daughters of the Pelden Drukpa.
Even in print media and the FM Radios we hear accusations – all pointed at the people who made it to the polling stations on the 24th March, 2008. There is a barrage of names. We are hypocrites; we behaved like herds of sheep without opinion of our own. We rejoiced in the rumors ignoring to read the manifestos. We were a selfish lot who chose personal interest over national interest. We were ignorant as was displayed in the results of the National Assembly. Statistically, that makes two out of every three Bhutanese unworthy sons and daughters of the Pelden Drukpa.
I am not sure if collectively we faltered to earn such names. What I am sure of is that we rallied to make that first important step towards achieving the vision of Druk Gyalpos – to institute a vibrant democracy in Bhutan
And as a people we chose to have democracy in our own terms for our own good. We have made a choice. It is a choice that sets the direction of a nation’s progress from now on. Even in the past, we have made collective choices of similar proportion. Generations on, we discover wisdom in those choices.
In 1907, we chose to crown Gongsa Ugyen Wangchuck as a hereditary Monarch. Today, every 17th December, we celebrate the great choice we have made. For centuries, we chose to be isolated from the rest of the world as we nurtured our identity. Today, we are the envy of the world for every thing that is unique to us. In 1961, we chose to open our doors to modernization. Today, we have development progress and process worthy of emulation. In 1974, we chose to crown the 16 year old Jigme Singye Wangchuck as the fourth Druk Gyalpo, making him the youngest king ever to be crowned. Today, we have unparalleled peace and prosperity and gross national happiness.
March, 24, 2008, we chose democracy. Generations on, we should be able to look back on our choice and rejoice in the wisdom. All of our choices in the past yielded good things for Bhutan
The race up to 24th March may not have been particularly Bhutanese. Families, villages and communities dividing along party lines. Allegations and counter allegations making their rounds. Today, we are no more the horse party or the crane party. As His Majesty, the fifth Druk Gyalpo has commanded, the overwhelming winner in the election is the people of Bhutan
Remember, we are the same herd who overwhelmingly chose Yellow over other colors during the Mock election. We expressed as one breed who did not want to trade yellow even for the glittering gold. And many of us took the mock seriously. Today our collective mandate for the DPT carries huge responsibility. The mandate for the DPT is not just the mandate from its supporters and voters. It has the mandate of the Bhutanese people. The people of Bhutan Bhutan Bhutan
Democracy, we are told is all about numbers. Even as we pressed our thumbs endorsing the horse or the cranes, no one imagined an election outcome so lopsided. No concerned citizen is happy about the outcome. The DPT, themselves are unhappy. All of us do realize the pitfalls of an almost opposition-less democracy. But that is what democracy has provided to us. That is what collectively we have given ourselves. The solution is not to despair and disparage. We now have the choice to make the best of it or worst of it. Yes, surely, we are not in a very desirable situation. But everything is not lost. It is time to put our creativity together to avoid entrenching a single party dictatorship. I believe, one way to go forth is to build strong institution for the opposition. We need to build a political system that guarantees the right of the PDP to organize, express, and criticize the party in power. Fortunately, there is the presence of an enabling environment today with enormous sympathy showered upon the PDP coupled with a willing DPT to build stronger opposition. The common knowledge of the pitfalls of a weak opposition would also provide the much needed energy.
Finally, the wish fulfilling jewel, the precious gift of our Druk Gyalpo is not lost into the EVM contraption with the election. The deed is not done yet. It may never be done. The gift cannot be stashed away until the next election. It is alive with each one of us. At our disposal. Ever ready to grant our wishes. The future of our democracy will largely depend on the wishes we make. Our forefathers have always made good wishes for the greater good of the country. Today we bask in the harvests of these wishes. Today we are challenged to make our own wish. Our children will reap the harvest of our collective wish. Our wishes and actions would make our future generations look back on this day the 24th March, 2008 either with joy or with remorse. Each one of us would have played an important part in the outcome. Perhaps the next step for now is to move on with democracy.
Democracy-what’s in a name?
ReplyDeleteA simple definition of democracy is “A government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation involving elections.” Going by this definition, I should say that our newly established government is indeed a democracy having partially fulfilled the definition by involving the people through the election procedures. However, the larger part of the definition still remains to be fulfilled and by the larger part, I mean the “Supreme power vested in the people.” I somehow feel that this is the most important part of a democracy and as far as our Democracy is concerned, this has been overlooked by our representatives. I would like to defend this statement by the following:
First, discussions in the offices, restaurants, parking lots, theatres or in any rendezvous, seems to revolve round the “Tobacco Control Act,” passed and implemented by the concerned agencies including the police. While many Bhutanese disagree on the Act, defending vehemently and arguing, that it is against the “Fundamental rights,” as enshrined in the constitution, the representatives defend the Act, often with a lighted cigarette etched between the two right fingers, that the people in their respective constituencies were consulted and voted in favor of the ban. The catch here is, did they ever take this up with the people? Was “Tobacco Ban” at all an agenda in the discussions with the people? If at all they discussed, how did they arrive at a consensus that “Tobacco should be banned,”? My gut feeling is that “Tobacco Act” was never discussed other than what transpired in the parliament. So where does this leave us-we the people who are vested with the “Supreme Power”? Do we really have it-the power or does power diminish the minute we elect our representatives.
Second, media is an important tool for disseminating information, for education, knowledge and many more. Media has certainly impacted the society. And amongst them all, I feel BBS has impacted the most because of its reach. However, the bickering between the Government and BBS that went on in 2009 and 2010 is a clear indication that the Government which is democratically elected does not want the people to be informed of the discussions taking place in the parliament. If people are vested with the “Supreme Power,” than why this wrangling? Why is it that the Government does not want the people to be informed of the important discussions going on in the Parliament? Is it because, like the Tobacco Act, the Government wants to force upon people all decisions whether they like it or not? Is it because they do not want to reveal their true nature? Is it because they want to fool the Bhutanese public? If at all, democracy is to live up to its true definition of “Supreme Power vested with the people,” then I am sure, BBS should be given the authority to telecast all live proceedings and not just those that the elected representatives want. This censorship is a clear violation.
Third, the Government is supposed to resign if they go against the Constitution of the Country. They went against on the Tax revision as proved not just by the High Court but even by the Supreme Court. But, the Government did not want to resign. They merely fooled the people by calling an emergency meeting and then justifying to the people that they have the mandate to fulfill as elected representatives. Again it was nothing more than fooling the people. Any uncorrupt Government would resign for violating the Constitution. But because they have the corrupt nature they did not resign quoting the mandate, the unfinished task and on other flimsy matters.
Is this Democracy making a difference? Certainly not. Where is the people’s voice? Where is the Supreme Power? “Democracy,” without the Supreme Power, is just a meaningless convention to rule the people. If so what’s in a name? Democracy, Stratocracy, Despotism, Kleptocracy- call them by any other name, they are nothing more than fooling the people.