For a country and society where ‘everyone is related’ or where ‘everybody knows everybody’, conflict of interest becomes an important and pertinent issue. While it is good that family and other social ties in Bhutan are strong, it is also important to see that these ties are not misused to …
Read More »Public Information is Public Property
The MoIC minister in an interview with regard to the RAA’s report on the Domestic Airways questioned how this paper got the information or the report. Now, though some may dismiss the minister’s defamatory insinuations as an attempt to divert attention from the real issues, the minister’s flawed logic on …
Read More »The National Council
While the National Council elections slated in April 2013 may not generate the same level of enthusiasm as the National Assembly elections, it has established itself as an important Parliamentary institution. Soon after the euphoric elections results of March 2008 for the ruling government, there were concerns expressed not only …
Read More »Unchecked corruption in government projects
At a time when austerity and rupee crisis are the catchwords, the RAA’s draft report on the construction of Domestic Airports by the Ministry of Information and Communication comes as a major disappointment. The report highlights how more than 50 percent of the Nu 435 mn project was either lost …
Read More »Opening a Pandora’s Box of political activism
News of 50 Druk Phuensum Tshogpa supporters planning a trip to the capital on behalf of the Speaker and the Home Minister in regard to the Gyelpozhing verdict caused some disquiet in a country not used to political activism. Though the DPT members withdrew their petition as of yesterday the …
Read More »A lesson for the Civil Service from the Gyelpozhing verdict
The harshest blow from the Gyelpozhing verdict falls on the 14 Committee members who are all long serving civil servants, and except for one who is retired, all 13 stand to be terminated without any benefits. This is because both the Civil Service Act and Rules list out termination for …
Read More »The Gyelpozhing Verdict
The conviction of the Speaker and Home Minister along with 14 other plot allotment committee members in the Gyelpozhing land case has generated a lot of public interest and reaction. The verdict in its entirety does credit not only to the Anti Corruption Commission but also to the institution of …
Read More »State of the Nation’s Economy
Though the state of the nation in the last five years may be divided into four pillars and elaborate sub sections, but ultimately the two most important issues are rural development and the state of the economy. On the rural development front, the numbers on minimum programs like farm roads, …
Read More »‘Dirty politics’ and the 2013 race
In the 2008 electoral race while candidates had mainly diplomatic words for each other in the media, the real electoral battle was what was whispered by party members in villages and towns or half suggested by party leaders. It was only occasionally that party candidates or workers made official allegations …
Read More »Taking responsibility for the Rupee shortage
When the Rupee Shortage and the resultant Credit Crunch first hit the Bhutanese economy from early 2012 onwards, the RMA and the government were caught unaware. With elections just a year away and personal and institutional reputations at stake, both the RMA and the government blamed the financial institutions, private …
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The Bhutanese Leading the way.