The one fundamental flaw of the otherwise a through National Law Review Taskforce.

1. This National Law Review Taskforce is mandated to review laws and practices for the purpose of " harmonisation and consolidation " of all existing laws in  respect to ensuring  the Constitution of the Kingdom as the mother of reference and natural authority. 

2. The Taskforce is not mandated to review the Provisions of the decade old Constitution and offer amendment in provision or interpretation or concept.  Therefore, what the hell is the Taskforce attempting in calling for legalising the unconstitutional initiative of the Election Commission of Bhutan that called upon Political Parties to declare candidates to qualify for the Primary Election? This is acting over and beyond given mandate and thus a huge fundamental flaw.

Against such a backdrop of political  development, I feel it is time that the nation closely re-examine the purpose of Primary Election. Let me start the debate with following points:

1.   The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan calls for competition among Political Parties in the Primary Election so that all such Parties are given a fair and equal opportunity to win the trust of the public to be either of the Ruling or the Opposition Party in the  two Political Party National Assembly system.

2. The Primary round was necessiated only because His Majesty the King desired to limit real politics of democracy to only two Political Parties. But at the same time, democracy in other nations especially in neighbouring India which unfortunately continues to play the central role in Bhutan, does not limit the essence of democratic choice to only two Political Parties. Therefore, the multiparty Primary Round Election was adopted to somewhat make the Bhutanese system (a) more palatable in the eyes of the world and (b) to assauge the possible demand for a true multiparty democratic system by the Bhutanese populace.

3.  The purpose of the primary election system in my opinion are as given in above points (1) and ( 2).  The Constitution, therefore, does not require political parties to declare their candidates before the primary election. Primary round is really about the Political Parties' memberships, organizational structures, Office Bearers  and party manifestos. It is definitely not about  constituency candidates of Political Parties. It is about the grassroot support for Political Parties as a political entity. 

4. The primary round is not about choice of Political Party candidates by the constituencies. It is the choice of Political Parties by the contituencies. The Political Party logos are on the EVMs not the photos of the candidates.

5. It is ofcourse effective strategic politics for Political Parties to tell voters who their likely candidates would be if they are chosen as one of the two Parties eligible to compete in the General Election. Makes   
tremendous sense to ride on popularity of individuals in the constituencies to win votes. However, it is totally wrong for ECB to call on Parties to declare candidates before primary election.  ECB has in effect  subverted the very objective of two Political Party system by recognising the Party contituency candidates for the primary election.

6. The prevailing extra-constitutional demand by ECB that Political Parties declare the 47 constituency candidates to qualify for primary round and its endorsement by the National Law Review Taskforce actually brings about the  elimination of  primary round. And this indirect call for elimination of primary round is further re-enforced by the suggestion that contituency candidates once declared for primary round cannot be substituted in the general round. 

7. Is the Triple Gem signalling  Palden Dukpa to introduce multiparty system of 4 or 5 Political Parties and just have one national election round for the National Assembly. Why conduct two rounds of election with identical conditions as demanded by ECB and added upon by National Law Review Taskforce ? Total waste of national resources in time, money and labour and absolutely confusing duplication. Its like mandating two separate marriage ceremonies, one for bride and another for the groom at different intervals after which one of them or both are declared unfit to marry and replacements contrived.  

Summary:

Food for thought, debate and consideration at national level to either act in conformity with the intent of the Constitution to conduct Primary round as purely for selection of two Political Parties for General Round from amongst the many registered and competing Parties.   Or just hold one multiparty election for National Assembly whereby the Party or coaliation with larger nimber of elected constituency candidaties govern and the others sit in Opposition.