The Bhutanese Leading the way.
PDP may have won Haa due to its President being from there but it lost the national race in the primary round making it a DNT and DPT contest.
Sombaykha
In Sombaykha constituency in Haa, PDP got 1,690 total votes, followed by DPT with 315 votes, DNT with 312 votes and BKP with 103 votes. Likewise, from Bji-Katsho-Usue constituency, PDP got 1,185 total votes, followed by DNT with 964 votes, BKP got 441 votes and DPT secured 370 votes.
DPT candidate, Tshewang Rinzin, from Sombaykha constituency said DPT served from 2008 to 2013, however, the party lost to PDP in 2013 election. Likewise, he said that he stood second with only three votes difference with DNT in the primary round of 2018.
He said, “I need to work hand-in-hand with the people in the constituency, know their hardship and situation and give them full support with solution. I am explaining the party pledges, and this way, I think people will support me.”
Similarly, DNT candidate from the same constituency, Dorjee Wangmo, said Haa is ready for change. She said, “It is good to know that we have supportive people who are in the position to know things better now. I believe that the people appreciate our party pledges and our theme of narrowing the gap.”
She said DNT, if it forms the government, aims to implement its priority pledges with full benefit to all including the other three parties.
Bji-Katsho-Usue
Meanwhile, the DPT candidate from Bji-Katsho-Usue constituency, Sonam Tobgay, said that PDP won in Haa during the primary round because the people felt that in the past five years, lots of development were brought in with the help of Gewog Development Fund.
Sonam Tobgay said there is not much he can do to make the votes go in his favor. “The only thing I can do is explain our party manifesto and accordingly they will come to vote for me if they like it. I cannot force anyone to vote for me, I leave the choice to them,” he added.
DNT candidate, Ugen Tenzin, said Haa voted for PDP as the former PM is from Haa. He said former Lyonchhen might not have responded and solved all the issues in Haa as the former PM was busy being the Lyonchhen in all 20 dzongkhags.
He said DNT pledges were received well in Haa. “Everybody appreciated the idea of narrowing the gap and benefit of all the activities including health, education and youth.”
He said that DPT’s candidate in Haa is very young but they never had any issues. “For me, knowing all my work experience and background, people asked me to take part in politics. Whatever I did between 2008 to 2013 was with equality and they felt that I need to continue,,” he added.
According to DNT Dzongkhag coordinator, Chundu, PDP bagged the highest votes, not based on individual party but because they voted for the former PM. There are 6 gewogs under Haa, he said, three gewogs under Sombaykha saw many development works, while the rest of the three gewogs did not get much development.
He said that going by the people’s talk, there is a good reason to believe that the people will render full support to DNT. “People say that all the party pledges are almost same but they are happy with the pledges on health and they are even happier to see health as the first priority,” he added.
