The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The ongoing political turmoil in The Maldives has stifled the functioning of the SAARC secretariat office in Nepal after secretary general, Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed, resigned. But it will not affect Bhutan’s functioning in the SAARC body, the director general of the Department of SAARC and Regional Organizations (DSRO) Sonam Tobgay, told The Bhutanese. Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed, the youngest and the first female to hold the post, submitted her resignation following a controversy where senior Maldivian officials complained of her siding with anti-government forces. The SAARC charter states that officials assuming posts in the SAARC secretariat should not indulge in political matters of the country.
Sonam Tobgay said Bhutan is yet to receive a letter from the foreign minister of Maldives on Ms. Saeed’s resignation. Though all SAARC secretarial works are done by the member countries it is also vital to have a secretary general as soon as possible for the well being of the organization. “Maldives is in deep political crisis; they are trying to form a government down there, so we need to give them time,” said Sonam Tobgay.
