Wangdue candidates play a subtle but hard-hitting bout

During the Nyisho-Sephu constituency public debate in Wangdue Phodrang, the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) candidate Gyem Dorji pulled a fast one by questioning the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate on pledges to give pool vehicles to local government, but was met with an unexpected query right back as to why he couldn’t keep in touch with the people during his tenure as the constituency representative.

Gyem Dorji said when we say pool vehicles, along with that a driver is required, fuel, and even tyres need to be changed which means high maintenance expense. He said, “This is why we, as a ruling government, have thought to reduce cost at the least.”

Supplying pool vehicles in every gewog, he said is a huge burden and expense for the country and government to face. He asked the PDP candidate Kuenga on how he would tackle it and what kind of ideas he has to bring down the government expense.

In response to that, PDP’s candidate Kuenga said, “The party has been saying time and again that PDP’s ideology is ‘Wangtse Chhirpel’ through which we are going to give power to the local government (LG) be it for financial, administration and human resource for a strong LG.”

The PDP candidate based his explanation on the premise that in government offices, even in a small department there is a pool vehicle, and some have two and even three pool vehicles for just few people working there and expenditure is naturally incurred.

“If it is so, then under LG, in one gewog there are thousands and to serve them and as a kidu for them, we are going to offer it in the best interest of the people,” he said.

He said, there is no problem at all, even if it is gets a little difficult for government because the party will try to fulfill their promise for the benefit of the people.

In his turn to counter questions, PDP’s Kuenga asked for clarifications from Gyem Dorji as to why in his five-year term he was not able to connect with the people in the constituency. The PDP even asked of the DPT candidate, if he was former PM’s clerk and DPT’s translator which the DPT candidate, himself, said once in a common forum.

A seemingly stimulated Gyem Dorji said, after being democratically elected as a candidate in Parliament, he has been part of the legislation process and could not meet with the people in his constituency.

“Which I am supposed to meet twice in a year,” he clarified.

“For legislation, I being vice-president in Parliament had to carry huge responsibilities. For law to be enforced, it has to be something which people can understand, and moreover it has to be in both the languages, in English as well as in Dzongkha,” he added.

The DPT candidate also clarified that he didn’t say that he is ‘PM’s clerk or DPT’s translator’ during his common forum.

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