National Council Members and their (Majority) PROMISES

This is the time when majority of the Bhutanese are glued to their television and radio services of Bhutan Broadcasting Services trying to listen to what their National Council candidate (s) has to say. Many feel that listening to their debate will ease them to franchise their precious vote to deserving candidates and candidate whom they feel would benefit their community and country as a whole.

Many Bhutanese seems to not understand the clear boundary that National Council members and Member of Parliament shares. And many of our interested candidates contesting for National Council seat always seems to stress on making new laws and refining the existing laws. I am not sure if these are all they do.

After the coming of democracy in our country, I am starting to realize the intelligence of Bhutanese in making various laws. We made countless number of laws. Some seems good but some does not seem to make slightest of sense to general public. I know that civil servants working in various ministries are drafting majority of the laws and their laws are generally guided by how they see the situation. The duty falls on the NC members to look at the draft through the eyes of general public and make in friendly to them not compromising the security of the country.

I am made to write this because of the following:

-         Murdering a person is lesser degree of crime to chorten robbery

-         Raping is lesser degree of crime to carrying Nu. 150.00 worth of tobacco without tax payment proof

-         Waste management act has been implemented with great pomp and show but only for a month and forgotten after that. Look at our own Thimphu city. There are many areas with lots of trash. If you don’t believe me, walk through sub-ways built near swimming pool complex area and one near BCCI office.

      Going by my statement, I would like to make a point that, while laws are needed for good, but if we don't implement what has been made, it is better than not having it. As said by Aurn Shouri “Do not be seduced by new law. Enforce the existing laws”.

      My plea to the up-coming National Council members is following:

1       Strategize ways to ensure better implementation of laws

2         Re-visit degree of crimes (whichever law it belongs to) and some laws needs to be revised

3         Work on only those laws that make sense and remove those, which are never followed. For instance,    

         waste management laws will not work in Bhutan, before making it known to public. I know National  

          Environment Commission undertook some awareness campaign, but it didn’t reach the ears of those 

          who need to understand.

4         Make a point to make all laws known to public so that there won't be any problem during 

         implementation.  

5         Please do not propose making new set of laws.

Having stated, I would like to wish all interested candidates a very best of luck for the election. I hope and wish that only deserving candidates win a ticket to become Honourable National Council members.