Old rivals DPT and PDP find themselves in the finals again

The Primary round of the 2013 National Assembly election saw the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) going through to the final General Election scheduled for 13th July 2013.

The DPT secured the highest votes at 93,895 votes followed by PDP at 68,545 votes. Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa came third getting 35,942 votes while Druk Chirwang Tshogpa came fourth getting 12,453 votes.

The Chief Election Commissioner Dasho Kunzang Wangdi said, “I am happy that the Primary round is over and we have two parties who will be going forward to the General Election round and we will be looking forward to conduct it.”

The voter turnout was lower than expected at 55 percent affected in large part by the gloomy weather. However, it was still better than the NC elections where the turnout was at around 45 percent.

The Chief Election Commissioner on the lower turnout said, “It could have gone better but we have to accept that we conducted the election during the peak monsoon period and also during the main farming time.”

The DPT won in 33 constituencies and won big primarily in the Eastern Dzongkhags like Trashigang, Mongar, Pemagatshel allowing DPT to get a huge margin on the total votes secured. The incumbent party apart from totally dominating it’s stronghold of Eastern Bhutan also did surprisingly well in Central Dzongkhags like Bumthang and Trongsa where it was believed that PDP was strong. The Party also did fairly well in the South which again was considered to be an area where PDP was strong. Even in the West where DPT performed poorly, it still managed to hold onto to Thimphu, Upper Paro and Gasa.

What paid off for DPT in addition to its minimum programs focused primarily in the backward regions in the East and South were also some strong regional candidates. This was in addition to its main star, master orator and master politician Jigmi Y. Thinley.

Reacting to the win DPT’s official number two Yeshey Zimba said, “We are very happy that the people of Bhutan have a lot of faith in us.”

He said that the reason why DPT won was because it served the people and lived up to the expectations of His Majesty the King and the people.

He said DPT’s next move would be very simple, which is to continue with its normal campaign.

PDP managed to significantly increase its numbers especially based on its good performance in Western Bhutan where it won Dzongkhags like Haa, Punakha, Wangdue Phodrang and a constituency each in Paro and Gasa. It also managed to do fairly well in Samtse getting two of the seats and won a seat each in Chukha and Tsirang. However, as expected PDP failed to connect in the east partly due to the absence of stronger candidates and also the lack of a strong party organization there. DPT with its stronger party structure even got newbie candidates elected with comfortable majorities.

The PDP President Tshering Tobgay said, “We are deeply grateful to the people of Bhutan for giving us the opportunity to take part in the General elections.”

He also acknowledged that PDP’s main weakness was in the East and a lot of work had to be done there.

He said that he was grateful for to the new parties including BKP in taking part in the electoral process which had considerably contributed to strengthening democracy in Bhutan.

DNT which was expected to be the big surprise of the 2013 elections came a respectable third in the total vote tally but in the end could only win in two constituencies with one being Wamrong under Trashigang and another being Phuntsholing in Chukha.DNT which was considered to be stronger in Eastern Bhutan failed to break the DPT’s strong grip on the politically important region.

DNT’s Dr Tandin Dorji said that DNT candidates and members would soon meet in Thimphu and chart the future course. He said the party was yet to do an analysis of why it failed to make it to the General Elections round.

He said, “We are going to carry on with as a registered political party engaged in the political process of our country and we respect the wishes of the people and are thankful for their support.”

DCT came a distant fourth in all the constituencies except in one constituency in Samtse where it stood third.

According to political observers, party workers and also the ordinary voters on the street several things worked against the two new parties of DNT and DCT. The first major fact that worked against them was they were relatively new and people did not know much about them especially in rural areas.

Also unlike DPT and PDP that promised the sun and the moon, the two new parties made the classic political mistake of not attracting voters with big promises no matter how impossible. DNT in particular decided to stick to a campaign theme of ‘dangers of democracy’ that worked in favor of DPT in 2008 but failed to provide the specific promises of road, water and other promises made by DPT and PDP. DNT’s campaign style gained it respect but not enough votes among an electorate generally more worried about drinking water and roads.

The ‘Nyamchung’ style of politics practiced aggressively by DNT and DCT targeted mainly at DPT and partly also at PDP gained sympathy but failed to get votes.

The much touted youth and change factor also failed to work in favor of both parties.

Also a crude but harsh truth visible even in the NC elections was that some voters especially in the rural areas were not entirely comfortable or ready for a woman Prime Minister. Though only embarrassingly whispered by some politicians this was an underside of the 2013 Primary rounds.

DCT President Lily Wangchuk, however, took this issue head on and said that one of the other reasons why her party performed poorly was because it comprised mainly  youth and women candidates who were not able to break through Bhutanese socio-cultural notions. She also complained that new parties suffered from both a lack of time and resources compared to DPT and PDP.

She also admitted that her party which wanted to be more responsible had not made big promises like some other parties.

Tenzing Lamsang / Thimphu

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19 comments

  1. DPT never promised sun n moon like crack head PDP.

  2. In theory it is said by the wise that one’s power of virtues and hardwork will not go in vain but it is proved wrong in Bhutan. How much was done by lonpo sangaynidrup for Bhutanese people while in Health, Education & in MoA.  He turned tables by successful pilot project in Bumthang aslo. He tourned all corners of bhutan & listened to people’s grievances & gave all necessary help. This means he should win but people didn’t punish him severely by not giving the votes in 99% of 20 districts.

    This year too people did not vote for the best party. To me the best was DNT followed by DPT, DCT & PDP. Why DNT? Because from 21 – 29.5.13 I didn’t miss to see all the debates/presentation and gave marks to the best Speakers. The marks were 1795 for DNT most speakers spoke best, then DPT was 2nd with 1748 but speaker in Tashigang Radhi was worse, moreover it is surprised to find father-nominated son, he tried to speak best but did worse in dzongkhag language, his accent like european, and also he consumes drugs, once he beat police SP and was jailed in Mongar. How can Radipa nominate him? I am very sorry for Radipa & bhutan. I think the party should change hin immediately. otherwise Radipas should vote for PDP who has realistic  proposals. Poor brogpas also do not know about this.
    3rd was DCT who did very well except in Punakha const. DCT in Trahsiynagtsi and Mongar performed best but they didn,t get votes. 
    IN case of PDP the most poorest speaker was in Mongar. She should be changed immediately. But it is a surprie PDP has stood 2nd. Well and good. I thought DNT will come 1st & 2nd will be DPT or DCT. Some people said DNT & PDT. Some even said DNT & DCT also. But if our people gave votes as per the capability during presentation, then it should have been DNT. This is my assessment. There can be different assessment of course.

    So therefor my conclusion is safely I can say our bhutanese people do not judge who is capable by speaking but he/she only sees the face of the lonchen. If this is the case even in general election DPT will win. I should say now itself Bye Bye to PDP because there is no use of Debates/Presentation between DPT & PDP.
     
    So public please judge properly. If we base on corruption index lonchen will not get votes. But let us forget all these.  My appeal is that give votes to the best speakers/presentation before 13.7.13 without bias whether he/she is DPT or PDP. That will be fairest. Then PDP will surely get 40-50% of votes even in our East. Please be fair next time. Please educate your parents & friends in the villages and urban also.
     

    • I don’t think anybody should be judged by how they speak, what makes you think that the better speakers would make better politicians, especially if the better speakers talk a lot of rubbish.

    • Flabbergasted

      Haha.. “Please educate your parents & friends in the villages and urban also”  so says the man who is going to cast his vote solely by looking at how candidates speak and who is willing to overlook corruption, the deadliest disease a nation can have.

  3. The result is as I expected. DPT will win and PDP will be second with more seats. That is exactly what I predicted and came true. I am also happy that PDP won the seats from my constituency where I could convince around 50 voters to vote for PDP. My effort didn’t go in vain. 

    In the General Election also, my prediction is DPT will win but with little difference in votes. DPT might get around 28 seats and PDP will get 19 seats. The reason being PDP doesn’t have strong candidates from the East and do not have strong party coordinators from there. The only chance of PDP winning the heart of Eastern Bhutan is if Jigme Zangpo and Aum Dorji Choden joins hand with PDP which I don’t think will happen. 

    Druk Chirwang Tsogpa for sure will not stand up to the other parties. As rightly pointed out by some in the forum, DCT is good enough to coordinate a School or College. They have to grow so much which I don’t see the potential. 

    Druk Nyamrup Tsogpa for sure I thought will not come to general round because of the way they campaign. Their campaigning strategy is not well received by rural as well as urban population. They are all the time criticising the DPT government and trying to portray themselves as a peoples party which on the contrary only less than 18 % of Bhutanese people know them. Moreover, most of the candidates even though are experience and qualified were full of egos that especially the urban population and the civil servant know. 

    • Please wake up from your slumber, I don’t see PDP winning more than a handful of seats and while the candidates of DNT may vote for PDP, I am not sure about the candidates of DCT,. In regard to the people who voted for either DNT or DCT, it is more likely that they will vote for DPT.

      • Flabbergasted

        I voted for DNT. Now am going to vote for PDP. Any other party than the corrupt DPT.

        Like me, which party the previous DNT supporters vote for is anybody’s guess.

        • Mr. Flabbergasted
          I will tell u one secret to make DPT lose in the final round. Please do not tell anyone even to your wife, otherwise it will not work O.K.
          See it looks like whichever party you voted for seems to be losing always for example in 2008 and in the last concluded primary round. Then let us work some miracle, this time on July 13, 2013 you vote for DPT and PDP will win 100%. Please do as suggested and you will be just too happy in your life. Believe in me. Thanks for ur kind co-operation.

  4. The problem with DNT was that they campaigned in their fancy vehicles as a Nyamchum party when all the people at the top are as rich as anyone in the DPT. Ie Dr Lotay, who paid 62 lacs to resign.

  5. This time, PDP deserve its share to form a government backed by DNT and DCT. But it may not be a landslide victory like DPT and its regime of 2008 election. We are optimistic that T Tobgay will definitely bring overall development in the right directions especially things that were not though of by the DPT as first two years of DPT was wasted in increasing their perks and allowance for themselves and the final years got entangled with scams upon scams including Gyelposhing scandal and finally the Prado controversies. On the positive note, DPT opened so many farm roads, but MOA before the tenure of DPT also opened so many farm roads.
    So what unique changes did DPT bring to the country? We are convinced that these set of old Ministers will not bring any extra ordinary development and changes as their brains are exhausted and difficult to change their mind set which is filled with lots of old ways of thinking and old ways of implementing the things when the people in some parts have landed on the moon and the other planets. We need dynamic leaders like T tobgay and Kuenga Tshering, sadly Kuenga Tshering is in DPT and if PDP wins, Kuenga Tshering will not get the opportunity to bring positive changes in the government. In fact Kuenga tshering should have joined PDP, may be PDP should offer party ticket to him in 2018.
    DPT should now relax and some of its members meditate and bring more dharma instead of wasting their time. Also they have spent enough time in the government service, if people spend too long in the system, corruption breeds into the system automatically. It is time for the new breed of the people to run the government and seems like this responsibility rests on PDP. Wake up PDP be ready to face the criticisms, while in government you may do best of the best with good intentions and overall interest of the people and still you will face the criticisms.
    But once in the government do not repeat the DPT’s story of only benefiting yourselves and taking away prados, try to genuinely fulfil the promises made during the campaign and bring more prosperity, well-being and peace.

    • Well, some people still seem to believe in fairy tales.

    • MR. Sunmoom
      I remember in one of your posts in the past, you wrote DPT will be eliminated in the primary round. So that way your prediction will reverse. So please predict something more!

      • Haha Sunmoon, please, what is your crystal ball saying about the final round, PDP to form the government, I am sure.

  6. Find out who paid Nu.6.2m on behalf of doctor Lotay.

  7. Let’s move out of fantasy and get into reality. There won’t be much change in the results in the general elections. The voters are all the same and even the DNT and DCT voters will somewhat evenly share between DPT and PDP. So, DPT will rule and PDP will oppose as it happened previously. The only change is that PDP will win more seats this time, perhaps 10 or so. It would require a magic or supernatural power if PDP must win. Therefore, let’s now contemplate as to how many seats can PDP secure and which constituencies?

  8. haha Dawa is fully in dpt, the way of putting question to ex-  pm la 

  9. Well, Tshering Tobgay plans to buy low quality chopper and kill the people instead of saving? He wants to spend millions on maintaining the choppers which may be of use for just once or twice a year? He thinks that the budget for the 11th plan is ready and his party’s job is just to implement them? He thinks he can politicize the armforce though it is royal prerogative? Well, he has a lot to learn before he is given the chance to govern.

  10. Keawa chengi matok, depachengi methob,

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