The Bhutanese Leading the way.
People of Norbugang, Samtse, and Phuentshogpelri gathered to witness the general election public debates conducted at dzongkhag yargay tshogdu (DYT) hall on Sunday.
The candidates from the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) shared their manifestos with the people, and pledged to fulfill their party promises if they win the 2013 general election.
The DPT candidate of the Pugli-Samtse constituency, Rebecca Gurung holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Bangladesh, and served as a civil servant for seven years. She was working in private company before joining the DPT.
Speaking at the event, she said that the party would qualitatively complete the targets of the coming 11th five year plan, reduce the poverty rate to 5%, solve the issues of unemployment, promote security, sovereignty, and independence of the country.
The DPT candidate also pledged to build road en-route between Samtse and Phuentsholing through the gewog, improve of the existing road connectivity by constructing more roads, and a bridge where needed, and solve the water shortage problems.
Regarding improvement in the agricultural sectors, she promised to provide farmers with a better and high yielding variety of seeds. She also pledged to provide a power tiller for the farming community, and provide better access to irrigation facilities also.
Rebecca Gurung further pledged to improve the existing health and education services, as well as to establish new ones, and protect land from degradation by enhancing the protective measures.
The Phuentshogpelri constituency PDP candidate is D.N. Dhungyel. He has a master’s degree in business management, and a bachelor’s in commerce from Sherubtse College. He worked at Bhutan Ferro Alloy Limited (BFAL) as a marketing manager for 10 years, and was a private entrepreneur before joining politics.
He assured ‘power to the people’ in aspects of political freedom, economic freedom, and societal freedom talking about his party’s philosophy of ‘Wangtse Chhirpel.’
D. N. Dhungyel promised to provide happiness to the people by involving them in the decision-making process of the government.
The party manifesto includes allocating an annual budget of Nu 2 million in every gewog under the jurisdiction of the gewog administration.
The PDP Phuentshogpelri candidate also promised to promote a better relationship between the government and the local government.
He also talked about the promotion of the economic development mainly through private sector development. The PDP party manifesto also highlights the community development though qualitative education and health development, better communication facilities, solving unemployment issues, women empowerment, better access to facilities in the gewog centres, and improving agricultural and animal husbandry to enhance the income of the people.
He promised to turn Samtse into a town A, and not to leave a single target of 11th five year plan un-turned.
“To have change, vote for PDP,” he told the people.
The dzongda, dzongrab, ECB officials and government servants also attended the event.
The absence of Rebecca Gurung during the question and answer round lead to come irate comments and questions by audience members. They said that this was in the trend of past Samtse MPs.
Thukten Zangpo / Thimphu
Rebeca Gurung…The incumbent MP Parlad Gurung might have done a little more justice than you at least. Street politics and country politics is quite different…you must have known by now. and of course the latter would even make you feel unwell as it was the reason for skipping the Q&A session….
Rebeca gurung was not able to read the alphabets properly. And she did nto attend Q & A session. What is this? This indicates DPT’s utter inefficiency. How can people vote for enefficient candidate. But what to do our farmers are brainwashed & they will not vote for the best candidate. PDP did very well during Q & A session. This common forum is the one forum where candidate of eaach party should try to excel in presentation with good proposals & is opportunity to clear several issues and doubts of public.
But alas Rebeca failed to do this? Leelapradhan tried her best but still she was not able to read and explain the manifestos in her hand. In Q & A aslo she did very poor.
So Samtsipas please think to whom to vote.
Not being able to read from a piece of paper should not be the deciding factor. Being able to blabber in national language alone will not guarantee win. You seem to know already who is going to win anyways.
There was a joke among a one circle that Rebecca Gurung married a guy from North and at his home instead of Rebecca learning dzongkha and talking in the national language,she has taught Lhoshomkha and everyone now talks in Lhotshomkha with her at her husband’s home.So,how will she give a public speech in national language.
Whatever it is,I will not vote for any one whether i is Leena,Revecca,Mr.Chhetri or Dhungyel.They will not bring anything but rather increase and influence their onw business and may be make some more buildings at Samtse.
Samtsepa think properly and vote for the right candidates who can actively participate in Parliament . Do not vote for the people who just warm the chair for another 5 yrs.
If Rebeca is the first woman architect of the country, there is no doubt she will be the last woman to represent our constituency…may be in her next life….
Only fools in Samtse will vote for her. She should have remained with her profession where she does not have to talk in Dzongkha. When ECB conducted Dzongkha text for local leaders why not for parliamenterians as law makers. Let us give impetus to our National language Dzongkha. Any individual aspiring to contest in election, it is wise to learn Dzonkha both written and speaking otherwise they should not be permitted to contest as simple as that!
Are our MPs required to be actors for the TV gallery or should they seriously work for the constituency? If we require speakers go for Dzongkha lopons. If we require for upliftment and development for constituency go for DPT as they will form the central government. Rebeca spoke slowly and clearly about the manifesto in the debate, you can not deny. She asked question if shifting from Dorokha to Samtse is for political or any other reason. Dugel reply shifting is legal and constitutional. So does he understand question.
Samtsepas, do you want to vote for an opportunist, who scared of TSP in Dorokha come to our constituency and thinks he can rule us? We Samtsepas can have our own candidates, thank you Dungel, you can go back to Dorokha. Even his Dzonka was poor in 2008 and he practice for many years for the debate. Rebeca will improve language in 3 months and prove to be capapble candidate. Jai DPT and Rebeca