Analysing Political wind of PDP ( People's Democratic Party ) the governing Party of Bhutan.

It is said that media is an important ingredient of Democracy. However, in Bhutan media simply relays news. Of course one cannot discount the value and importance of News that are disseminated by the main stream media like Kuensel and BBS TV. As a citizen and also a blogger, I am grateful for the updates.

However, there is a total lack of analysis of events and News.  In other words the media psychology has not undergone the necessary changes to meet democratic challenges and responsibilities. And it cannot be simply the fear of authority that is stopping media from looking deeper into issues. The constraint may not even be the lack of information although that is often the given reasons.  People love to talk though they dislike being quoted. Moreover, analysis do not need sources because these can be based on available facts and past events and incidences.

As main stream media chooses to remain dormant, let me start a social media discussion/analysis exercise. One need not use original name but please be more substantive than just fiery defendant or attacker. If done under one's honest name, usually the views are more substantive, intelligent and less aggressive, accusatory in tone. I look forward to healthy and substantive analysis of events, from knowledgeable citizens and interested individuals.

The subject is recent cabinet reshuffle in the PDP government. Lyonpos Mingbo Dukpa is out, Norbu Wangchuk is transferred and MP Lekey Dorji is said to be in as Minister of Economic Affairs.

I believe that anyone who becomes a Minister especially in Bhutan had it partly written in his/ her good fortune from birth. Here Cabinet or MP seat is not bought outright with huge contributions to Party coffer. And I have never questioned a Bhutanese capacity to be a Bhutanese leader. It is my duty as a citizen to respect whoever receives the Dhar.

The former Foreign Minister was replaced since he could not continue functioning due to the  Court case. So a replacement
was expected and understandable. But what is the political significance of Lyonpo Mingbo resigning. Possible that he has personal problems including that of health. But who in the world resigns from a Minister's post for problems of personal nature ? No one ! A Minister has more capacity to even handle better any personal problem than an MP or another influential person.

So why was Lyonpo Mingbo let go and what does it say about personal power of the President of PDP and internal Party power struggle? If Lyonpo Mingbo  committed a gross misdeed and had to leave,  then there is no internal Party difference. It is said that Dasho Lekey Dorji had been promised a cabinet berth and so he would be the most likely choice if another vacancy happened especially after he missed the boat in the previous Cabinet vacancy. 

Lyonpo Mingbo is an original 2008 PDP candidate who stood by the Party during the crucial Primary Election of 2013.  I heard that PDP Party President had faced excruciating  scarcity of both finance and candidate, in qualifying for Primary Election. That he succeeded is most admirable. And I admire His Excrllency for his never say die political stamina.

During General Election the choice of Candidates was plentiful and so must have been financial contributions. One just needed to compromise on Party loyalty and opt for political sense of winning and therefore, dumped some of weak candidates though they had enabled the Party to enter the Primary and qualify for General Election.

I just cannot imagine Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay dumping Lyonpo Mingbo to make way for Dasho Lekey Dorji. Did Lyonpo Mingbo commit a Tsawa Sum perjury or was he hobnobbing with the Opposition or commit a judicial crime? Or had Party backers forced this decision upon the Prime Minister. That leads to one wondering whether the Party President has control over the Party.

It was Lyonpo Norbu Wangchuk who spear headed the Cabinet defence  over the scandalous act of suspending three government Secretaries. He stood by the Prime Minister to the extent of even changing events and facts as later revealed by RCSC investigation.  And yet he is the one who is shuffled.

O.K lets agree that Lyonpo Norbu Wangchuk is qualified to head Education Ministry and he is publicly happy.  But how come that Lyonpo Norbu Wangchuk is suddenly found to be the second best choice for Tengye Lyonpo post at the Ministry of Economic Affairs?

Come on, we cannot believe that he had chosen Education Ministry to continue his battle with Dasho Sonam Tshering's wife who is the Secretary of Education. She would be leaving soon along with other government Secretaries upon completion of tenure. And moreover the larger implication is that he got ousted himself after ousting his Economic Secretary. So the transfer may not necessarily be the
priority choice of the Prime Minister or his colleague Lyonpo Norbu Wangchuk.

Thus the turn of political events again makes one wonder if the President of PDP Party and Prime Minister of Bhutan has respectably adequate say in the Party decision of Cabinet composition and portfolio of his Ministers.

It was a PDP representative who was on BBS TV defending the Cabinet merry go round not a member of Cabinet. That too is significantly tale telling. And it was a PDP Party Press Release I believe that announced the Cabinet changes. In other Countries, changes in the Cabinet or any Government decision, it would be announced from the Office of the Prime Minister. Let's see who is on the next chopping list out of the PDP faithfuls to Lyonchoen. Good Luck Your Excellency the Prime Minister.