The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The rumors had been flying thick and fast in the last few months, but it got finally confirmed on Friday when Dasho Neten Zangmo, the former Chairperson of the Anti Corruption Commission, joined the Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party (BKP) on Friday.
The ceremony occurred below a mango
tree planted by the late father of Dasho Neten Zangmo which holds strong emotional value for Dasho.
The BKP President Sonam Tobgay who had travelled with his team down to Samdrup Jongkhar said that his party had been trying to persuade Dasho Neten to join their party for the last seven years.
Though the BKP made it clear that Dasho would contest from the Dewathang-Gomdhar constituency in Samdrup Jongkhar it is not yet clear what position Dasho would hold in the party.
Dasho is likely to hold a senior post in the party which will be announced on Monday to the media. The BKP declined to comment when asked if Dasho would become the new BKP President.
Sonam said that Dasho did not have any terms and conditions in joining the party and though Dasho could have joined any other party she choose BKP as she wants to build, nurture and form the party and get party cadres in bigger numbers. Sonam said Dasho also found the party to be like minded in terms of strengthening democracy and serving the interests of the people.
He said that the one thing that attracted BKP to Dasho is also that Dasho is far from being politically savvy. He said that politics is seen by people as being really corrupt and for the sake of power but this is not how BKP and Dasho saw politics.
The BKP President again repeated an earlier pledge that BKP would form the government in 2018.
The President, in response to a question, said that Dasho is not only known as the ACC Chairperson but for a host of other things.
He said she was a teacher during her days in Royal Bhutan Polytechnic and Royal Technical Institute in Kharbandi. She later served as Director of Planning Commission, Cabinet Secretary to the Council of Ministers and as the Foreign Secretary. Sonam that after ACC Dasho served as the head of the Samdrupjongkhar Initiative (SJI initiative) promoting values of GNH.
A BKP release said, “Inspired by His Majesty’s emphasis on democracy as an important national objective, Dasho Neten has taken on herself to champion broad-based and regionally balanced economic development and growth, reinforcing social development through equal opportunities to avoid exclusion and overcome socially divisive disparities while respecting diversity as part of the enabling environment for socioeconomic development.”
BKP said, ‘With democracy as a pressing concern, Dasho Neten Zangmo makes BKP her choice united by common reason to further the cause of each and every Bhutanese citizen and offer to serve the Bhutanese people as their elected representative without fear or favor, and in the long-term interest of the country, culture, dharma, economy, institutions and the people.”
BKP called for a reforms that would improve the living conditions of the Bhutanese people in general, and not any particular groups or individuals. BKP said what reform should mean, simply, is jobs and as many jobs as possible. “Job creation as an important task that sits high on our priority list, especially for the youth,” said the release.
“We will build a better, stronger and more democratic society for future generations, protecting the Bhutanese culture, tradition and values, developing our people (especially our farmers and the private sector) and helping improve communities. We champion equitable and sustainable socio-economic development to ensure the physical and mental well being, and are fully committed to eradicating poverty and minimizing material deprivation within the next ten years,” said the BKP release.
The Bhutanese tried calling Dasho Neten but she was not available on the phone on Friday.
On Monday morning Dasho was announced as the President of BKP.
