EDITORIAL

Though long discussed and speculated, the government’s move to initiate an early dissolution of the National Assembly before 20th April has set the proverbial cat among the pigeons. The government’s main reason is that without doing this the biggest losers would be the electorate who would not be as enthused …

Losar is upon us and as we leave an old year behind and start a new Water Female Snake Year, it is  time for reflection of the past and renewal for the future. As we are about to start the New Year, Bhutan is in the midst of important economic, …

Bhutan has around 67,000 vehicles and in 2012 itself there were around 26,000 cases of traffic violations across the country with around 17,000 just in Thimphu. There were also 96  deaths in the last one year. These numbers have all been increasing at an alarming rate in the last few …

It is a welcome development that a host of international experts are working on the New Development Paradigm (NDP) in Thimphu, an endeavor which has implications way beyond this small Himalayan Buddhist state. Bhutan in many ways has the historical credibility and moral authority to propose and host such a …

There is a saying that a ‘Democracy is only as healthy as its opposition.’ In other words a successful democracy should have an efficient check and balance on the powers of the ruling government, which includes a strong opposition party. In Bhutan’s case the Opposition party is the smallest in …

Saturday morning, many Bhutanese will be glued to their television sets  as His Majesty the King graces India’s 64th Republic Day as the Chief Guest. There is no doubt that this is a great honour for Bhutan and a moment of pride for every Bhutanese. Millions of Indian and foreign …

Data from the National Environment Commission is showing worsening air quality standards in urban areas especially in Thimphu and Phuentsholing. However, for many Bhutanese living in these two towns the NEC data will come as confirmation of what they already know and experience. Anyone living in Thimphu need only note …

Bhutan is winding up its first five years of democracy with the general elections approaching soon. In the past five years Bhutan has defined itself as a fairly competent elective democracy but there is still a lot to be done to make it a participatory democracy. Though elections are an …

While here in the urban areas we carry on the norms of democracy by expressing our views, criticizing the government, holding it accountable and asserting our rights, the story is very different in the rural areas. A close observation of rural life will lead many to conclude that democracy is …

If the National Statistical Bureau conducted a survey of how happy the Bhutanese are they will definitely register a significant drop in the national ‘happiness level’. The national mood especially in the last one year has become gloomy, grim and depressing. One of the main reasons would be the worsening …