The Bhutanese Leading the way.
One of the first parties to declare an interest in the 2013 elections the Druk Mitser Tshogpa (DMT) represented by its party symbol of a farmer plowing the field has officially been dissolved as a political party.
DMT President, Dasho Penjor Dorji who ironically was one of the founders of DPT in 2008 said, “We have decided to dissolve the DMT as a political party.”
This will mean that for the 2013 race the contest is now between the two existing parties of DPT and PDP and the three other new parties of Bhutan KuenNgyam Party, Druk Chirwang Tshogpa and the yet to register Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa.
DMT was considerably weakened when the rank and file of its original members left to form DCT.
The DMT will instead evolve into a political ‘youth organization’ called the Druk Me-Ser Nazhoen Tshogpa (DMNT), a youth driven organization that will lobby with political parties to establish its 30 point agenda.’
The DMNT which has mainly youth leaders not affiliated to the original DMT claims to have already 700 new youth members and growing, and aims to be a youth lobby group to represent the large youth voting bloc in 2013. Its slogan is ‘You help us, we help you’
Dasho Penjor Dorji who is an adviser and one of the founders of DMNT said, “Any contesting party that wants the votes of DMNT- that compromises 60% of the country’s population, should incorporate our 30-point agenda in their manifesto.”
He said “now the political parties can’t make hollow promises and wash their hands from the youth issues and employment.”
He said once a political party accepts the 30 point agenda the promises will be completely based on legal documentation and the political party will be accountable according to the pact signed between the contesting party and the DMNT’.
He said that in case more than one party supported the 30 point agenda then the parties would be asked to unite by the DMNT in the interest of reducing the number of political parties.
He also said that in case no party supported the 30 point agenda the DMNT would compete as a youth political party.
The DMNT though an off shoot of the DMT, according to its founders is a different organization from the former DMT itself.
One of its key movers and shakers is Lobzang Dorji who is a member of the young Interim Executive Committee and the head of the political wing of the DMNT youth organization.
Lobzang had served previously as a captain and College President in Sherubtse.
Lobzang said, “The throne has always told us all that the ‘future of the nation lies in the hand of the youth’ and we will always work dynamically to fulfill this very statement. Let us gear up for a new beginning, let us design the vista of Bhutan that we want for our future generations and let us use votes to make it happen.”
Lobzang Dorji said that the 30-point agenda will be geared for creating youth employment, fighting the youth unemployment in the country and ensure 100% job guarantee.
He said his youth organization feels the need to facilitate vibrant democracy in the country.
“Despite showing strong indicators in the graph of gross domestic product, there are still crucial problems looming large as most of the youths are unemployed triggering many of the social issues like substance abuse, school drop-outs, arrays of hoodlums and many more,” said Lobzang.
DMNT has taken on a life of its own and with a mainly young team is moving fast and adding record youth members. DMNT consists of six wings which are its Dzongkhag level wing, Commercial wing, Employment wing, Research wing, Women Empowerment wing and Welfare wing. It has 11 core members of the organization in addition to 700 active members.
Lobzang said that DMNT started adding mass members after organizing a youth meet in YDF and asking each youth to bring in five members and they in turn should bring in five members each. He said that in the first meet the youth were briefed and there was strong support for DMNT as a youth organization to lobby for the youth.
He said that DMNT would get support from students in education institutes like Sherubtse, Gaeddu Business College and other tertiary institutes including unemployed youth and others.
Among many of the now tentative agendas of DMNT are zero tolerance towards corruption, creating employment and rural development.
DMNT will also be making policies on pressing issues concerning the youth and it will also attempt to empower the private sector for creating more jobs for the youth. They will also try to revamp fiscal policies.
The youth driven organization firmly believes in ‘zero import of agriculture products and livestock as well as ‘zero tolerance to corruption’. The members also reiterated on earlier statements to the media about reviving Bhutan Lottery which was closed down abruptly by the government- to restart and work for it so that they get the funds to sustain themselves.
Another ground DMNT will work on is the Hydropower projects. Import of casual labor from neighboring countries will be cut off thus creating local employment for downstream benefits and if need be, only skilled labors will be hired only to further disseminate the skills to local laborers. According to Dasho Penjor graduates will have to undergo National Service working among other places at these hydropower sites in return for fair wages and a National Service certificate.
Another prime focus of the organization shall be on the gaming industry, considered to be a major potential contributor to the exchequer.
The funds for their projects will be from different stakeholders like individuals, private sectors, corporations and international organizations as well their own initiatives.
The 30-point agendas include promoting brand Bhutan, taxation reforms (like capital gain tax), education, hydropower, foreign direct investments and many other pressing social issues.
It will further open up a ‘Youth Bank’ to ensure entrepreneur schemes for the youth helping with loans that will be contributed by many stakeholders that supports youth organization like private sectors, corporations, international agencies. Lobzang said that the ‘private sector is not healthy enough to grow and give employment proportionately’. He said “what affects the growth of private sector is due to capital constraints, government policies, and human resources”.
He said that with 60% of Bhutan’s population comprising the youth, they should be actively engaged in making policies.
Puran Gurung & Minjur Dorji
Question is can this political parties will be endorsed by ECB if it doesn’t want to contest in election…
Won’t it function like RSS in India….
It happened as expected but with an ironic twist? Where is the Boy, a Southern Bhutanese from a humble family who was once working for this party? I am ashamed to see the irony, it was the boy who had all this idead in his head.
Who gave the idea of recruiting national labourers in the hydropower projects? Who was a contributer of notion ‘zero import of agricultural and animal products? What strategies did he speak of when we are to oppose corruption? But where is he.
I never knew his name, a young Sherubtse graduate with unbelieveable power of persuation and sunconcious ability to influence , fluent in all major lanhguages of east, west, south an north.
With incredible in-depth knowledge of Bhutanese politics and deep hearted respect for national ettiquete, culture and a fundamental nationalist whose future is seemingly up there has poured all his intelect onto Dasho Penjore and the rude, unjust and corrupt master has slashed the boy’s dream.
The very act of having the boy neglected in the field he drew the plan of, is a good hint that no political parties should ever consult this organization.
This organization arose from ideas of an independent man and can collaspe in short run when the founder of the ideology is barred, when his role is subdued and when is is still alive but alone.
Does it not make you nude? What a shame, whose idea do you claim this is? Where is the source person, he was on the street with this idead, the party robbed him of his intellect and sent him back to street.
I will make sure he is still empowered by your deeds, but he still deserves to take the charge of the organization. Don’t he?
This ideas deserve national recognition, and could have been registered with inlelectual property rights of Bhutan.
Thank You Jurmey for your words, but to some extent i see u are msitaken: i was never a registered member of the party, and it wasnt me who started this organization. I am thankful to Dasho for giving me good moral support for my political career, without discrimination.
One fine morning i asked Dasho if i can leave the party and i was not barred in doing so.
But as you said, the benifits and downstream benifits of employing nationals in construction sector and building up a robust middle class was concieved within me. but what is the difference? They will do it when i can’t and that is fair because we are all working for sound economy of our nation. Something about food and fibre self-sufficiency is still missing, by discussing and making thirty or hundred point agenda we dont solve the problem. How will we persuade farmers to make optimum use of their lands? People now complain that they are being forced to work when small patches of community vegetable projects are innitialized, how far will the people co-opporate in taking daunting task like commercial production of cereals, pulses and meat/dairy or fishery product?
I am happy that the organization has come and pretty sure the vote of 2018 goes to this party but still good steps are crucial for next five years. It depends on how they work for the comming election, after all it depends on how well they can convince people. Anyone with true dedication to our nation at large, society at mid and their individual families at small level can have equal impact as i or you would have.
I owe much to Dasho Penjore, i am ever thankful of his support and recognition.
I have sought a different journey although the dice is yet not rolled
i am dedicated, firm and stable despite stories untold
I share fortune, glory and virtue: children, youth and old.
Lets pray that obstacle come by, as my destiny unfold.
The Boy,
I really appreciate your positive attitude. You have a human value within you, I am sure you will do well where ever you go. Best of Luck
I ve a feeling that both “the boy” and Tshewang Jurmey” are/is the same person……
Why dont the organization create a group in Facebook and an account in twitter? That is a symbol of being a youth, ideas and options can be transmitted to large audience through the social networking sites.
who is this boy by the way. looks interesting. No other parties has tried to get him?
Most likely Tshewang himself is that boy.
I smell that….
huh!
DMNT has 60% of the votes of the population as per quote by The Bhutanese of Dasho Penjor Dorj!
why dont they form their own party instead?
DMT copy of RSS in india( any provision in our ECB act?) and this Penjore the, bhutanese counterpart of Bal Thackerey?
Dear all,
first of all, we are really glad that we have different youths coming up with different ideas and brains to let the potential governments to come up with different programs which will solve our present economic problem and the problem of unemployed youths.
To be frank, our citizens are really too much dependent on the government to do something, we force our parents to do something for us and we let others do something, but we never do anything ourselves. This is the biggest problem which we citizens as a whole face at this moment. We are too..oo.ooo much dependent on others to do something. We want big Dashos and rich people to do something but at last we never do anything my ourselves.
Com on, lets wake up guys, its high time we do something as a citizen and we can collectively do it. I am talking about the citizens of the country as a whole. I am talking about the common men and women of our country, I am talking about the citizens as a whole, whether they are young, middle aged or old, everyone should take responsibility and save our nation from economic depression. I think we are already in a great depression. So, lets try to find a way to come out of this economic and social problems which our country is facing. Lets forget of Partisan work at the moment. What we want right now is to save our country economically, com on, we know that politically our country is very strong under the dynamic rule of our king and with a combination of a wise and strong government. so lets think economically and lets plan to do something economically for the nation. Lets make our country economically strong, lets stabilize our Balance of Trade, Lets solve the problem of unemployed youth and lets solve the problem of rupee crunch. We can do collectively only with the initiatives of public, as a responsible citizen of Bhutan and as a true sons and daughters of our mother land, Pelden Drukpa.
If you are with me, then follow us at a Article written by me (CHENCHO DORJI) at BBS News( DAWA’s Kudreon) or folow us at Zhabdu Tshongdey Tsed
sure sounds like taking youth hostage
I know the boy, as Tshewang said he is a deeply learned in national etiquette and is proficient in all major language, his language accent for all language is unbelieveable: i thought he was a Kuerteop when i first saw him conversing with his friends. Later i got a beaitiful chance to speak with him when we were travelling to Paro. I am from Mongar resettled in sarpang. I did a study on his value and i understood,
I every party other than DPT has somehow tried to lure the boy into their party.
However he isn’t lost, hundred people both old and youth have already know his aptitude and it is palpable he will contest for National Council: Ask a person from Sarpang you know about him, and they smile and say ‘how did you know him? Good man always reaches everyone’. I am voting for him if he comes on arena.
Oh that man? He cannot be called a boy! His maturity and diplomatic dealings, his methods of conversations and influensing abilities are worth praising. Dont know how well he speaks other languages but english is superlative, charismatic and eloquent.
I have met him many times, his parents are low-income people and he rarely has another pair of sleeper: we are neighbors and he made me politically active.
He is one man in the world of seven billion, he will lead our nation in good path.
Any “political” lobby groups should be discouraged. The question is if there is a youth lobby group, there should be a middle-aged lobby group, a senior-citizens lobby group…and so on…. Youth are important, but then there are many other important issues too. A state should not make any policy that are drawn to benefit only one group.
From DPT to DMT and now DMNT I wonder if Penjor Dorji who was sent on compulsory retirement by the Govt. due to corruption is suitable for any Political Parties or a Figure to Look Up for the Youth….I lie with my Fingers Crossed!!
that good move and lobby ..i appreciate and like to join this organization and lobby from my constituency …youth vote bank comprises of 60% so it wud have great impact on exiting political parties………i am law graduate so would like to head its legal wing………..you have to create facebook fan page for now ……..