Druk Gaki Tshogpa held its first party convention on 14 January where its founder, Chheku Dukpa, popularly known as Jackson Drukpa, was unanimously elected as its president.
He secured 54 votes of around 64 members who were present there.
A civil engineer by profession and currently working in a private firm Chheku Dukpa, 47, from Nanong gewog in Pemagatshel, said Bhutanese people live in a very special and unique country.
“The good life, peace and stability that we enjoy are because of our beloved monarchs,” he said. “Therefore, we have the responsibility to thank them and we can thank them by being responsible and productive citizens and considering national priorities and sentiments above our individual considerations.”
At the convention, the party charter was presented to its members. The charter shall come in to effect from the day the party receives its certificate of registration from the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB).
Jackson had earlier pledged that his party would seek registration with the ECB after its party convention.
The party also discussed about the registration fees and membership fees.
Jackson Drukpa said a member will have to make a one-time nominal payment of registration fee. The amount will be fixed by the Executive Committee and it would be below Nu 3,000 a member or as may be fixed by ECB from time to time.
However, the party may also decide not to charge any registration fee as it may be decided in any of the general assembly meetings.
The charter also states that a member of a political party has to pay an annual membership fee. The amount of the membership fee will be fixed by the Executive Committee and it will be within the ceiling of Nu 5000.
“As mentioned in the Political Party Rules of the Kingdom of Bhutan, a political party shall submit an application for its registration within one month of its formation,” Druk Gaki Tshogpa’s president said. “We are very confident that we can complete all the work for registration within 10 days and shall register with ECB within this month.”
“During the convention, the party presented few aspiring candidates who will represent Druk Gaki Tshogpa from various constituencies and we are hopeful that many more would join our party”, the newly elected president said.
The 21-page charter of the party was oddly fairly standard stuff that one would expect from any other political party especially given the unique style of the party presidents.
Jackson as he is popularly known has taken Bhutan’s social media scene by storm with his quotes, online fights, posts, pictures and even videos gaining him a high degree of popularity.
Now, whether this translates into votes or if the ECB even accepts his party’s registration are the next big questions.