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Address of R.K Dorji on occassion of the 15th foundation day of DNC

On the 15th foundation day of the Druk National Congress, I congratulate and thank the Bhutanese people - the Bhutanese public spread across the villages and towns of Bhutan, Bhutanese exiles working from across the globe, all DNC party members, individuals in the Royal Government, the Army and the Police, and His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuk, our 4th Monarch, for his farsightedness and understanding - each and every member of Bhutanese society.

On this occasion, I also thank all our friends who have accompanied us and lent their support on our journey towards democracy. I would like to particularly thank the people of India and Nepal their representatives in their Governments through the years, and organisations, governments and individuals world-wide, who have all been a part of our momentous journey.

When the Druk National Congress was established in June of 1994, we vowed to bring about a positive change in Bhutan - to establish Parliamentary Democracy, to secure and guarantee for all our citizens, fundamental rights, including the right to equality, freedom and justice, irrespective of their race, tribe, caste, religion, sex, or ideological conviction, and to declare Bhutan a multiethnic, multilingual, indivisible, independent and democratic, Buddhist Monarchical Kingdom.

The DNC stood firm in its conviction that democratic governance is the only solution to all the problems that Bhutan faces, and is also the only means to ensure that the process of improving the wellbeing of Bhutan and the Bhutanese people, continues into the future, and that it is this well-being that will ensure not only the stability of Bhutan but also the institution of Monarchy.

15 years ago, while democracy for the Bhutanese seemed a faraway, almost illusionary light at the end of the tunnel, it is finally in our grasp. All our collective efforts have now precipitated a foundation for a promising future for all Bhutanese.

But our work is far from over. While we have succeeded in achieving a legal democracy we must now work to instill a democratic tradition, without which all this effort and achievement will just remain in piece of paper and in a set of bland procedures. Democracy is not a machine that runs by itself once the proper principles and procedures are inserted.

A healthy democracy depends a lot on the development of a democratic culture, which is shaped by its citizens who pursue their interests, exercise their rights and take responsibility for their own lives, and for the society at large.

An essential component of good governance and the adoption of beneficial policies, is peoples' participation, wherefrom emanates policy decisions that are an outcome of continuous contribution of unfiltered information coming in from the widest possible spectrum of individual citizens, analysis thereof, and responses drawn there from. (It is for this reason that, while the Druk National Congress has been, and is still critical of many policies of the Royal Government of Bhutan, it has been with the sole motive to bridge information inflow gaps, draws policy improvements, and facilitates improvement in the lives of the Bhutanese people).

People need to take their own decisions, particularly at the local level, and strong local governments are essential for a healthy democracy. If such an infrastructure and channel does not exist, the fallouts are, inadequacies in planning, formulating and implementing policies and responses. And such inadequacies invariably evolve into the creation of a system that ends up serving the interests of a select few, at the merciless expense of the common citizen. While at the very top of the ladder, there is often abject ignorance of ground level realities and a delusionary sense of security. While this is invariably true for authoritarian systems of governance, it is also very true for democracies without a democratic tradition.

This is why it is so important to develop a democratic culture. A democratic society needs the commitment of its citizens who accept the inevitability of disagreement, as well as the necessity for tolerance. It is important to recognise that many disagreements in a democratic society are not between "rights" and "wrongs", but between different interpretations of democratic rights and social priorities. And individuals, groups and governments must be willing, at a minimum, to tolerate each other's differences, recognising that the other side may have valid rights and a legitimate point of view and come together to address issues in the spirit of democracy.

Our legal system and our laws must also be quickly adapted and amended as necessary, to our newly acquired democracy and people's sovereignty. In a democracy, no one is above the law, which is, after all, the creation of the people. Every state must have the power to maintain order and punish criminal acts, but the rules and procedures by which a state enforces its laws, must be public and explicit, not secret, arbitrary, or subject to political manipulation by the State. Whether rich or poor, ethnic majority or religious minority, political ally of the state or opponent, all must be entitled to equal protection before the law.

With regard to the Constitution, while we will continue to seek necessary amendments through the Parliamentary process, we lay strong emphasis on the need to bring about immediate crucial amendments to Article 2, 7 and 15.

Amendments to Article 2 should be by a 2/3rds majority vote of the Parliament and not by a national referendum, so as not to precipitate a constitutional crisis (such as that which transpired in Nepal in the aftermath of the Royal massacre incident). Further, the Parliament is the highest body that is representative of the people's opinion and has rightful authority to legislate on behalf of the people. While the current provision is an improvement from the previous draft Constitution, in which it was an unamendable provision, it is still inadequate to effectively protect the Monarch. Vesting the Parliament with powers it can immediately exercise if an untoward situation arises will be the only effective deterrent.

The exercise of Article 2, Sections 16(a), (c), (d) and (e) should be by recommendation by appropriate Parliamentary Committee/s or alternatively by recommendation by any other authorised committees formed for the purpose. Article 2, Section 16(b) should be deleted as it undermines and overrules all provisions and procedures of the Constitution and Bhutan's laws.

Any amendment to Article 7 (Fundamental Rights) should be by referendum.

Article 15 needs amendment to allow for a multiparty Parliamentary system of government. The current provision does not allow for regional parties mandated to work in their own geographic or social areas to participate in governance, and in Bhutan, which not divided into smaller federally administered units, a 2-party parliamentary system does not efficiently address regional issues nor allows for a voice in the central government (parties normally take a collective stand on issues). Strong regions make up a strong nation and regions must be adequately empowered to be represented in the Parliament without having to tag up with larger parties with possibly other priorities. Further a 2-tiered electoral process is drains twice the resources of a multiparty electoral process with no real benefit in Bhutan's case.

The Druk National Congress did not apply for registration in the 2008 elections for two reasons. One, the Party did not approve of the electoral process and did not want to be officially associated or endorse the process as being truly democratic. Two, given the current reality and the stand of the Royal Government, with undoubted chances of its registration application being refused on some ground or the other, it saw no relevance in taking the issue forward.

Rather the Party chose to be actively involved in bringing the candidatures of the current national and regional leadership to the fore and in affecting the electoral outcome. Its success can be evidenced from the electoral results where the people effectively rejected the party that was deemed by the electorate to be closer to the Monarchy and the "old" system, than the other. But the DNC will be working to create the grounds for it to participate in the next general elections.

Democracy has finally come to Bhutan, but political prisoners continue to languish in jail. We demand the immediate release of all Bhutanese prisoners who are facing or have been convicted of political offences, offences of political nature and charges that were initiated which a view to punish for them for political offences.

Lastly, a peaceful, stable and prosperous nation is an asset, benefiting not just its neighbours, but the world. But we must understand that peace cannot be forced - it is a by-product of fulfillment, satisfaction, contentment. It is thus imperative that, while much has been achieved, all our partners must continue to, and more need to join in to participate in working together, to continuously usher in social, political and economical improvements in Bhutan and in our mutual and collective surroundings.

Thank you.

Rongthong Kunley Dorji.
President, Druk National Congress.
Druk National Congress
Bhutan
E-21, First Floor, Kalkaji, New Delhi - 110019
Phone: 26472636, Email: dnc2006@gmail.com
URL: www.bhutandnc.com