DEMOCRACY IN ACTION

Parliamentary debates over the nature of private bills and mode of passage is taken so many turns to now resemble the chicken and egg riddle. The 9th session is long over but the National Council (NC) still has its guards up to defend the National Flag bill. NC MPs stand …

It is likely that few DPT members will not re-run for office in the 2013 elections and few names have been circulating in the political circuit. The names of North Thimphu’s MP Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering, Patalay-Tsirangtoe MP Nar Bhadhur Gurung, Gelephu MP Prem Kumar Gurung, Zhemgang MP Tshering Dorji, and …

State funding remained a most debated issue in parliament when it popped-up for discussions, and the general sentiments and outcry alike was more or less unanimous even outside parliament starting from the common man’s voice to educated intellectual voices in executive positions. The proposition for state funding was therefore snubbed …

As far as speed goes, the roar of political activities is on a slump and it all seems quiet on the highway to 2013, the next democratic elections. Nonetheless, on a quiet note, the new parties continue building their roots toward a firm party-foundation while the two existing parties, the …

“The minutes of board meetings will be disclosed only within RMA premises” The Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) has assured its utmost cooperation to the National Council (NC) and has agreed to provide required-documents and information to review the Indian Rupee (INR) shortfall. The NC Chairperson Namgye Penjore directed the RMA …

A child is like a doll and is incapable of crime, so says, provisions in the books of law, but in the case of two minors who burnt down a hut, all loop holes based on this provision failed to save their legal guardians from the lawfully-ordered compensation payments. The …

The practice of assigning orderlies to senior police and army officials was questioned by the Samdrup Jongkhar MP during the Question and Answer session in the NA. MP Ugyen Dorji’s question was directed to the minister for home and cultural affairs, Lyonpo Minjur Dorji. He said the whole system of …

Much like the pot-hole plagued roads in the country, discussions on the road bill was a bumpy session, the bump in question being the discussions on the rights of owners and occupiers of adjoining land. Many MPs and Ministers had their views and thoughts on the section which talked about …

A joint committee comprising members from National Assembly (NA) and National Council (NC) will be formed to draft proper procedures to pass a private member’s bills. Apparently, this comes to light after rejection of the first private member’s bill which was passed by the NC in the eighth parliamentary session …

The National Assembly (NA) in its course of discussion about formation of a special land committee had derided the roles and responsibilities of organizations relative to land and land issues. The Wangduephodrang MP Passang Thrinlee said independent bodies like Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and others …