Security Clearance Certificate could disqualify DPT’s Radhi-Sakteng candidate

Meanwhile a DPT leader approaches a DCT candidate as a backup alternative

DPT’s Radhi-Sakteng candidate Jigme Tshultim stands to be disqualified after police records show that Jigme Tshultim has not cleared his Security Clearance Certificate (SCC) due to a criminal conviction in the Paro court on battery charges in 2008.

This paper has also learnt that the former Speaker who is also a senior DPT leader and advisor has approached a Druk Chirwang Tshogpa candidate Jigme Wangchuk as a possible backup candidate.

Jigme Tshultim had taken over the seat from his father, the former Speaker, who was convicted in the Gyelpozhing case, and therefore, could not stand as a candidate.

Jigme Tshultim’s criminal case dates to January 10, 2008 when he had assaulted a Tandin Wangdi with bottles in a bar in Bondey on a disco night, and was sentenced to three months imprisonment on criminal charges of petty misdemeanor paid in lieu of Thrimthue, and a compensation of Nu 50,000 to the victim.

It is based on this case that the RBP headquarters rejected the SCC of Jigme Tshultim. This latest development could disqualify the candidate in two ways.

One is that during the filing of nomination papers, the SCC is a must along with other documents. The Returning Officer is required to goes through all the documents including the latest status of the SCC, and if it is missing or not up to date, then the candidate is disqualified.

The other problem is that given the candidate’s criminal conviction record with the RBP, he would be disqualified under both the Constitution and the Election Act.

Article 23(4)(c) of the Constitution states, a person shall be disqualified as a candidate or a member holding an elective office, if the person is convicted for any criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment.

In the Election Act Section 179 (a) disqualifies candidates who ‘have been convicted for any criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment.’

Ever since the candidature of Jigme Tshultim has been announced replacing his father, there have been questions in the media on his past brushes with the law. Half expecting a disqualification, DPT had taken the unprecedented step of filing the names of two candidates for the Radhi-Sakteng constituency prior to the primary rounds.

The name of the second candidate is a Kinzang Choden who is a cousin of the candidate and from the same village.

However, in a sign that all may not be well with Kinzang Choden’s candidature, the former Speaker has also approached a Druk Chirwang Tshogpa (DCT) candidate Jigme Wangchuk as a possible back up candidate for Jigme Tshultim.

DCT president Lily Wangchuk has officially confirmed that her Radhi-Sakteng candidate had been approached by the former Speaker.

She said,” Jigme Wangchuk called me a couple of days back saying that he had been approached by the former Speaker as a possible alternative candidate in case things don’t go well with Jigme Tshultim. I told him that the decision to join or not is entirely his as an individual candidate.”

She, however, clarified that she had not been approached and that even if her candidate did join DPT then it should not be interpreted as DCT supporting DPT.

Jigme Wangchuk said, “Yes, I was approached as an alternative by the former Speaker in case things don’t go well with Jigme Tshultim. I have not yet made up my mind on the issue.”

Meanwhile the Returning Officer of Radhi-Sakteng Pem Tshewang confirmed that Jigme Tshultim had put in his nomination papers and he would take a decision by Wednesday afternoon.

In what caused some confusion Pem Tshewang said the candidate did have a SCC from August 2012 to August 2013 for the purpose of elections.

However, a senior RBP official said that around a month back, the RBP as part of its due process was updating the SCC of all the candidates. At the time, the RBP received in its record the Paro Court verdict on Jigme Tshultim, which was update into the SCC system.

“In the past the verdicts that came to us were mainly the ones where people were charged for serious crimes and imprisoned behind bars with no Thrimthue. So some criminal cases where sentencing was done, but Thrimthue could be paid in lieu of imprisonment where not necessarily sent to the RBP by the court,” said a senior RBP official.

The SCC online records show that on June 3, 2013 a few days after the primary rounds, a Jigme Tshultim has applied for the SSC for elections, but it was rejected by the RBP.

A DPT politician claimed that on June 3, 2013 Jigme Tshultim had never applied for the SSC as he was travelling in the east, and it must have been someone else who applied in his name.

Earlier in 2008, in between an exchange of public letters in the media between Jigme Tshultim and the RBP the Police Chief in a letter published in a private paper had mentioned this case, and also another case in Mongar on November 9, 1998 where Jigme Tshultim along with his brother and a friend had been involved in assaulting a local police officer.

Meanwhile, DPT youth vice president Sangay Thinley said that Jigme Tshultim was still the official candidate for the constituency, and further comments could only be made once the scrutiny process is over.  Jigme Tshultim was not available for comments.

Election Laws give any party seven days to replace a candidate with another, incase he or she is disqualified.

 

Tenzing Lamsang 

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19 comments

  1. a people with a criminal record will not serve people rather he or she will abuse, because last two letters of “habit”, “IT” will always be there in your life.

  2. “”The SCC online records show that on June 3, 2013 a few days after the primary rounds, a Jigme Tshultim has applied for the SSC for elections, but it was rejected by the RBP.””

    Did the paper “The Bhutanese” get this information from the individual concerned or his representative? Where did this paper get this information from? Official source?
    Isn’t it a Gross Invasion of Privacy? 

  3. Jigme Tshultrum Jr has indeed disqualified as per BBS. But this is nothing to be surprised about as everyone was pretty sure that he would not qualify. What remains to be known is the motive with which JT Sr. launched him; either he was entirely ignorant and unwittingly fielded him, or did it out of some kind of greed in letting of the ticket to a non family candidate. Now the party has to turn to the DCT or initial PDP candidate as only registered candidate would qualify. OR has a substitute been already identified before the primary???????????????

  4. Security Clearance can be issued and then revoked without informing an individual when it is still valid? Furthermore, there is no privacy to an individual’s security where someone with details can just apply for security clearance on someone else’s behalf…Dangerous trend indeed….

  5. Can the NOC issuing authority clarify on how it was once issued? And how did it get re-applied when he already has a valid NOC?

    • SCC is now an ever updating document not like earlier paper one. IIn the online system the certificate is revoked the moment a crime is reported. No paper print outs can help after that. 

  6. this is another setback in a series of happenings. see how DPT can they file him knowing he will not get NOC. this is DPT trade.

  7. This is actually good news for DPT, even if he had won, people would always be targeting him. In the first place, he should have never been given a ticket to contest.

  8. Very glad to learn that DPT is not deaf and blind, which most of us thought initially as the party had remained silence despite many accusations were made by social medias and particulary thebhutanese news paper. We the concern citizens were well aware of the facts what this paper and social medias working jointly with the help of some people to defame DPT and remove DPTfrom the power. But, it was very sad as these news have hugely damaged out country’e image for very simple reasons but these selfish people have took for granted. Yes we are here to support DPT and the team if having determination to fix this people for having damaged our peaceful country’s image and also in the level of individual concerned. Best of luck DPT and we really need to come to the power to fix especially the proprietor of thebhutanese and others.

  9. It is not the other way round. It is DPT who is confusing our people with lots of vague and crooked speech by JYT. this is more dangerous than anything else. He can cry, he can feel sad anytime , that is his skill and educated people knows this now.

  10. wishper, dreaming of Bolero, Tractor, Helicopter and Power tiller.

  11. Tshering Meto

    Something amiss?? The timing is questionable- why at the eleventh hour? Why after going through the primary round wasting government funds? 

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