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Agreeing in disagreement

25 December 2009

As an emerging democratic society, we are seeing differences of opinions on big issues in the parliament to small matters in the communities. This is a healthy democratic engagement for debates and assertion of opinions form the building blocks of a democracy. But there is a thin line between expressions of democratic rights and giving vent to disgruntlement or personal feelings.

Today, our people debate and express their views in different forums, formal and informal. Irrespective of where the debate takes place – from the parliament floor to online discussion forums – most views carry a certain weight. Whether expressed openly in a formal forum or discreetly under pseudonym, we know that there is a Bhutanese who has something to say. And someone has to listen to that voice.

Lately, our people are expressing strong opinions against the parliamentarians after they decided to give themselves a salary raise. Our online discussion forums reek of disgruntlement, frustration and disillusionment. They are a sea of full frontal, but often disjointed, views against institutions and individuals.

Are we listening to those views? Or are we brushing them aside as rubbish? For instance, on the MPs’ salary raise, there is not a single view in favour of the raise. In many polls, more than 90 percent of the participants voted against the raise. Are our MPs listening? Or are they ignoring such a strong public opinion against them? If a decision – whether it’s government’s or parliament’s – flies in the face of public opinion, there is something wrong with it.

However, it seems that the parliament is going ahead with the decision. By brazenly ignoring the strong public opinion, our leaders are only going to make negative feelings against the elected representatives bitter. And that is going to prove detrimental to fostering trust and respect between the leaders and the people. Bhutan has come thus far largely propelled by enduring bond of trust between its leaders and subjects. Democracy should strengthen this bond, not sever it.

It is when public opinions are ignored that a democratic debate becomes lopsided. It is when institutions and individuals in power refuse to engage in debate that there is no real debate.

Although all our differences cannot be ironed out, everybody must meet somewhere and stick together. The government and the opposition, the National Assembly and the National Council, the MPs and their constituents, the leaders and the led, the powerful and the meek – all of us must move together. This means agreeing in disagreement, accommodating one another more, coming back home together.

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Posted by Bhutan Observer · Filed Under Editorial 

Comments

One Response to “Agreeing in disagreement”

  1. correction on December 25th, 2009 11:56 am

    Well, i too feel its not reasonable to increase the pay at this juncture, however, your statement “not a single view in favour of the raise” is not correct. There are few who are in support of pay raise such as article in kuenselonline “Aren’t we shortsighted in Reasoning(ABOUT MPs Pay Raise)”…..So, your editor should give clear picture unless you want to generalize it.

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