The Prime Minister Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay in meet-the-press on 30 July 2018 said that the cabinet would be handing back their duty Prados, laptops, printers and all other equipment down to the last pin on finishing their term.
He said that it is important for the current government to set a good precedent for the future.
He said that in the previous government’s term a government order had come in the final days, whereby the then ministers got to keep their duty Prados, laptops, printers and other equipment.
Lyonchhen also announced that the ministers would be moving out of the Minster’s Enclave on 1 August 2018 when the government’s official term finishes.
He said that the mandate received by the current government was for only five years, and so the ministers would not stay a day more than mandated.
Lyonchhen contrasted this with the previous government when the then ministers continued staying in the ministerial enclave during the election period and as a result when they had to move out, it had to be done with great hurry.
The PM pointed out that though the buildings were only four years old at the time, some of them were in a terrible state, and more so because no repairs could be done in the election period.
He said that there was also no proper handing and taking over of the ministerial bungalows, which he said was less than satisfactory.
Lyonchhen also announced that even though the cabinet has to constitutionally continue beyond 1 August until an Interim Government is appointed by Royal Kasho, the cabinet members would stop wearing their Kabneys, and go back to wearing their normal Kabneys.
The National Assembly will finish its term on 1 August but the as per the Constitution the cabinet has to continue until an Interim Government is appointed by Royal Kasho within the next 15 days after 1 August.
Lyonchhen said that apart from setting a precedent, it is also about doing what is right.
In 2013 the then ministers kept their Prados. The current Prime Minister who was the then Opposition Leader refused to accept the Prado offered to him through the government order and returned it.