Development issues high on agenda

26 December 2008

Not too much fumbling with patangs and coloured kabneys, or shuffling about in stiff tshoglhams, or huddling into comfort-seeking groups this time around.

A been-there-done-that sense of familiarity prevailed when visibly more confident Members of Parliament attended the opening ceremony of the second session of the first Parliament on Wednesday, December 24, in Thimphu.

In an address that was more concise and precise than most of the other addresses that will be made in the same hall over the next month, His Majesty the King said that he was pleased with the performance of “all players in the new political system” so far.

“In spite of the challenge of instituting a vibrant new democracy, our country is filled with a sense of quiet assurance and comfort that would usually come from decades of experience and success.

This confident is a source of immense optimism,” said His Majesty the King. Even so, His Majesty reminded the MPs that there was still much work to be done “with dedication and in the right spirit.”

“Where Parliament is concerned, regardless of the issues, big or small and regardless of the gewogs, dzongkhags or constituencies you represent, each issue must be deliberated with the sacred and overarching goal of safeguarding the interests of the people of all 20 dzongkhags and the nation, now and for always,” His Majesty said. “In the end, we are one small family.”

His Majesty’s address was followed by speeches and responses from a number of members including the Speaker, the Lyonchhen, the NC Chairman, and the Opposition Leader They thanked His Majesty the King and His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo for their selfless service in engineering the smooth transition of government and ensuring that democracy prevailed successfully.

They also paid tribute to His Majesty King Khesar on his historic coronation while saluting the immeasurable achievements of the Wangchuck dynasty over the past 100 years.

Felicitations were also made to His Holiness Je Khenpo Thrizur and Her Majesty the Royal Grand Mother for receiving the highest honour of the Order of the King.

All the speakers offered personal khelang dhamcha and that of the bodies they represented to continually render devoted service.

Development issues are expected to dominate the discussions this Parliament session because most of the agenda submitted by members and the Dzongkhag Yargay Tshogdues are development related.

The current Parliament is, moreover, the first session to be held after the first visits by elected MPs to their constituencies. It will also see many reports on development issues that were marked for study or scrutiny during the First Session.

Although reminiscent of the DPT slogan, equity and justice are taking pride of priority this time so the bills to be endorsed include the Royal Bhutan Police Bill, the Prison Bill of the Kingdom of Bhutan, and the Waste Prevention and Management Bill of the Kingdom of Bhutan which was already under discussion at this time of writing.

Parliament will also talk about and seek to endorse regional agreements such as the Agreement on the Establishment of the South Asian Regional Standards Organisation, the Protocol of Accession the Islamic Republic of Afghanisthan to Agreement in South Asia Free Trade Area, and the SAARC Fund Charter.

What are the issues? While it may be merely conjecture, the grapevine has it that “hot” discussion will mark such issues as the 10th Plan, the Budget, and the Constituency Development Grant.

For all the heat that salary revision has generated recently, the issue is expected to be done and dusted without much ado. It has not made it to the National Council (NC) agenda and nobody seems to know why.

The NC will nonetheless content itself by vigorously pushing the issue of minimum wage revision. An NC member said that this issue might appear innocuous at a glance but had vast implications on rural-urban migration, human-wildlife conflict, unemployment/national workforce, and on the construction industry.

“Remember that, with all the megaprojects coming up, the construction industry contributes most to the national economy,” he said.

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