THIMPHU
With the DPT government caught in series of constitutional disagreements, especially with the National Council and the Opposition party, and exacerbated by the lack of a Supreme Court, Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley cautioned against “interpreting the Constitution too rigidly”. This, he said, could paralyse the government, affect development and harm the Constitution itself. In his state of the nation address on June 26, Lyonchhoen said, “When disrespect for the majority is articulated in the language of constitutionality, development will suffer and the people will become victims of a paralysed government, that is unable to carry out, in our particular case, their powerful mandate.”
The acting prime minister, Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba, cited an example of disagreement between the two houses on the interpretation of the Constitution. “There was a feeling that the annual budget should also be passed by the upper house, if that happens it will paralyse the government as the budget is a tool for the government to implement its policies and get things done.”
NC has placed the procedure of passing the budget for discussion in this session of the Parliament.
Lyonpo Zimba said that there were a lot of bills to be passed and, if each time the National Council blocked it, there would be a constitutional crisis. “In most democracies, the lower house more or less decides, but here we can’t.”
He also said that the National Council was acting with good intent but, when too many people were interpreting the Constitution, it made it difficult for the government to function and that there was a danger that it would be taken lightly.
With reference to party funding, Lyonchhoen said, “Because of the narrow interpretation of the Constitution and the unwillingness of my party to be drawn into a constitutional debate on the subject of state financing of parties, the very survival of the two parties is at stake.”
Some of the media houses, along with NC, had also raised strong objections against party funding.
Lyonpo Zimba said that the Constitution only bans non registered party members from giving grants, but does not prohibit funding of political parties by the state.
The prime minister said that, when government actions were questioned though the narrow interpretation of the Constitution or the absence of the specific provisions, it could be used to make the government weak and fearful.
“Democracy is about giving power to the elected to determine what they think is in the best interest of the country and to be held accountable for what they do,” he said.
He said that tampering with the Constitution would loosen the very foundation of society, question its validity and open the doors for the kinds of crises that have engulfed failed and ailing democracies.
On the crisis with NC, Lyonpo Zimba said, “We’re at the very beginning and are worried about what might happen if everything is interpreted in this way, since the Constitution is serious business and it’s not good if people think the government is not following the Constitution.”
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Roads authority mooted
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THIMPHU: The works and human settlement ministry has constructed 45.37 km of national highway, 66.08 km of power project roads and 78.30 km of feeder road in the first year of the Tenth Plan (2008-2009 fiscal year). This was an achievement, road engineers and ministry officials said, despite being bogged down by spillover from the 9th Plan. Submitting their progress reports to the third session of parliament on June 26, the ministry reiterated its priority to provide road connection to every gewog centre by the end of the 10th Plan.
To speed up the process, the ministry has already proposed to the cabinet to change the department of roads into a road construction authority. The rationale behind the proposal was to have an autonomous agency with flexibility to plan and manage construction without being tied down by normal civil service rules and regulations, said ministry officials. “The authority would be result-oriented and fully accountable,” said officials.
The ministry was allotted Nu 2074m for the road sector in 2008-2009. But it still faces a challenge of completing about 75 km of feeder roads, all spillovers from the 9th Plan and currently in progress. One of the feeder roads is the 15.5 km Gorbagtang-Autsho road in Lhuentse.
District engineers told Kuensel that the main problem facing the road sector was the delay in construction work, manpower and resource constraints and re-tendering of major works, when contractors were disqualified for failing to meet requirements. For instance, all eight contractors, who submitted bids in June this year for the second phase of the Gyalposhing-Nganglam highway, were disqualified. The work will have to be tendered again.
The department also faces manpower constraints and bureaucratic hurdles in taking timely decisions, stated the ministry progress report. “Sometimes, road works get delayed because of the difficult terrain in which roads are being built or extended,” said an engineer in Mongar.
In order to expedite construction of feeder and minor roads and to reduce survey and investigation time, the ministry introduced lump sum contract system this year.
Of the 205 gewogs in the country, 66 are not connected by motorable roads, said the report. GNH commission, in coordination with the roads department and agriculture ministry, is also preparing a road connectivity strategy to achieve the goals of the government. According to the draft strategy, it would be feasible to provide road connectivity in the 66 gewogs within the 10th Plan period.
The roads department, which has been allotted Nu 13.74b in the 10th Plan, will ensure that the existing highways and roads are resurfaced, realigned and widened and bridges built to accommodate 70-ton trucks to accelerate material supply for hydropower development in the 10th and 11th Plan periods, states the progress report. The ministry is also reviewing the road master plan.
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King grants audience to Indian army head
THIMPHU
His Majesty the King granted audience to the India's Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor today. General Deepak Kapoor was escorted in traditional chipdrel ceremony to the Tashichhodzong. In the courtyard of the Tashichhodzong, he was presented a guard of honour by the Royal Body Guards and the Royal Bhutan Army.
General Kapoor was then ushered into the throne room where he received the audience with His Majesty the King.
General Deepak Kapoor was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery in June 1967 and has held important Staff and Command positions. He is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal. He took over as the Chief of the Army Staff on September 30, 2007.
Following the audience, General Kapoor called on the Chief of Operations of the Royal Bhutan Army Major General Batoo Tshering. He also called on the Foreign Minister Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering.
His Majesty the King also hosted a luncheon for General Deepak Kapoor at the Dechenchholing palace.
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