2018 Primary Round Election

I have never written or critiqued about politics, about election but this time I do wanna write about the primary round of third parliamentary election held on 15th September 2018; because I feel it’s an important part of Bhutanese history.

Four political parties- People’s Democratic Party(PDP), Druk Phunsum Tshogpa (DPT), Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) and Bhutan Kyenyam Party (BKP) contested in the primary round of election whereby the two highest votes secured go into general round of election to vie for Ruling and Opposition in the parliament for next five years. The people chose DNT and DPT in the primary round for general round bowing out PDP and BKP. 

From pledges to debates, to the party candidates and  presidents, I have closedly watched a  month long campaign of all the four parties and following are some of my observations: : 

1. Democracy in Bhutan is still young and unpredictable. 

Even after two times parliamentary elections and 10 years of experience with Democracy, Bhutanese in general are still that typical and stubborn when it comes voting  especially the commoners. Several people I know and contacted says like they will stick with a party they supported since the beginning even after trying to convince that such notions are wrong and that one needs to study and analyse. 

2. Bhutanese aren’t yet ready for a woman leader: 

This is the third time a woman had lead a political party only to succumb to disastrous defeat. Perhaps the patriarchal system of society is still strong in Bhutanese mindset even though we don’t have such thing as gender bias. 

3. Just because you are of same sex doesn’t mean you support the same: 

2018  primary round saw more women voters trunout than the male, yet when it came to exercising the franchise, they chose otherwise. So one can conclude that Bhutanese women do want so-called Gender equality, woman empowerment blah blah,yet they aren’t ready to support the who come in front to lead and represent. How ironic!!

4. Experience and strong candidates matters little: 

PDP have had five years of governing experience during which time they selected went for the best of best candidates even replacing most of the incumbents. Did that affect the result? Perhaps! 

5. Postal Ballot’s importance: 

Election commission’s introduction of facilitation booths across the country for postal ballot voters have had huge impact on the results of primary round election. The election commission of Bhutan should also consider the private individuals and their families to avail such services on the future.

6. Use of national language in common forums:  

Dzongkha is our national language and yes it’s is very important, but looking at instances where the constituency debates have become the source of various memes and jokes, I feel it would be of huge help for the party candidates to convince and campaign during the common forums in local languages understood by a particular community. This is a win-win situation where bu the illiterate people at villages understands the pledges and for candidates, such forums doesn’t become source of mockery and mimics. Since Bhutan has around thirteen different native languages, I feel it isn’t time yet for such a system where national language is must in common forums. 

The saga of life Part I - The struggles and Confusion

Life is hard to comprehend; even harder is when life treats and tears you in some mysterious ways. Even though this so-called life is but a short one, it’s full of complex thing to understand and fathom. Some treats this life seriously; some casually; some takes it with ease, some wastes it with all the ill and wrong doings; some takes it for granted but the crux and cusp of all these is that we all are part of it and we can’t avoid taking its toll.

At this juncture, when you almost cross twenties and embark into the 30’s zone, when you are just finding root for your career; when you are just beginning to start so-called family; when you are beginning to sort out what makes you happy and what is best for another half of your life; when you actually get the taste of everything; in short when everything happens at a time is but the most critical phase of life I think.  If you are not careful, you risk that exposure and the experiences to a chance of getting hay wired.

People that I know well and even remotely often ask me what am I up to, how my life is going and where friends of my caliber are and all. Well, as a matter of fact some have become business tycoon, some industrious engineers and doctors, some promising journalists, some aspiring politicians, most of them happy parents and most of us doing JUST fine and surviving. If we are doing just fine, then it’s all well and good because at the end this is what matters right? They are often shocked you know because to some, money and materialistic world is all they care. They eat, pray, live and shit with this mantra. That’s why we even see people trying so hard to stick to their job even at the cost of cheating their ages. Age and our body just can’t lie you know.

Five years of my career life has taught and opened my eyes to so many sad realities and bitter truths. The corporate world that we often say isn’t always as we thought or expects it to be.  Yes life is hard when you have to depend entirely on dry salary at the end of month and half of that goes to the house owner as rent. Yes it is hard when you have to bear the responsibilities of whole family including distant relatives; yes life is difficult and saddening when you can’t fulfil the dreams of not just yourself but your parents as well, yes it is frustrating when things don’t come along nice and smooth; yes we f**king like to commit some grave crimes when you feel cheated and the bosses around bothers you, but, but at the end of day you know what the beauty is? Satisfaction! The fact that you end up being sublime; bearing with few slanting rays of hope despite all the odds and you manage to overcome in it-self is but huge achievement and a satisfaction. Yes nobody is going to give shit about this entirety but it’s all worth for you; through these hurdles do we know the value of hard earned fruit. The fruit tasted out of much sweat and perspiration is way too sweeter!

But then of course the saga of so-called struggles and strivings continue for this is what life is after all.