His Majesty the King’s National Day Address to the nation

My fellow Bhutanese, it gives me great joy to speak to you on this auspicious occasion marking the day Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck ascended the Throne, in 1907. Our nation has been blessed with the benevolent reigns of four monarchs since.

It is exactly five years since I became King. In these five years, we have made a successful transition to democracy. The elected government, bureaucracy and government agencies have implemented important development activities effectively and we have continued to achieve impressive socio-economic growth. Bhutan’s relations with other nations have grown more diverse and strong. I am extremely proud of these achievements and the people and I, are deeply grateful to the government, dratshang, civil service and private sector.

In October, I married Jetsun Pema. I am grateful for the warmth and affection with which, all our Bhutanese people came together to celebrate with me. I deeply appreciate the efforts and preparations made by the government, bureaucracy and volunteers; the prayers of the Zhung Dratshang and religious community; the good wishes and blessings of our senior citizens; the joy and happiness with which the youth embraced the occasion and the wholehearted love and support of the people of the 20 dzongkhags. The strength of your love and kindness towards me leaves me deeply humbled. As a young King, I have not yet been able to serve you as my father has done but my greatest desire is that I must repay your love, loyalty, support and trust. I pledge that it shall be my life-long endeavor to do so.

My dear citizens, while I am deeply satisfied with the progress of our nation, it is my duty as King to contemplate, every single day, on the challenges that lie ahead for our nation. My deepest concerns today are:

Democracy – we have made a unique transition to democracy. What makes this transition even more extraordinary is the short span of time within which we have done so. Yet, the true test shall be whether we have the will and commitment to sustain a well functioning and strong vibrant democracy for all time to come. Further, we have a strong, committed parliament today, but my worry is, in the future, whether our best and brightest people will forsake their careers in order to serve the nation through politics. After all, for democracy to succeed, we will always need strong, capable and upright people in parliament.

Education – the government over the decades has built schools in remote areas and trained teachers to man these schools. It has made immense efforts to build a strong education system. However, is the education our youth are receiving attuned to needs of the nation? And once educated, will our children find employment and realize their full potential?

Corruption – will we allow it, as in so many developing countries, to spread throughout society and destroy everything? Or will we meet the challenge and overcome it no matter how difficult it might be? In fighting corruption, will we remember to also fight waste, unnecessary expenditure and complacency?

Self-reliance – how do we achieve a measure of self-reliance that will make our growth sustainable? How do we overcome our great dependence on imports, for example?

These are my concerns. But our people must be reassured that it is not only I, as King, who seeks the solutions to these problems. We have the government led by the prime minister, the civil service and members of parliament and local government, who shall all work together to address these challenges.

I am confident because our people are unique. Our people are proud citizens who love our country and take it as our sacred duty to serve the nation. As Bhutanese we have so many qualities to be proud of. The manner, in which we all were united in celebration of my wedding, is a symbol of the fraternity and brotherhood among our people. It is an auspicious sign, that we will always come together, in good times and bad, in the interest of our nation. We will always, together as one, defend and protect our nation. If we are able to preserve this strength of unity and harmony, we shall overcome all challenges that may come our way.

Before I conclude, in the spirit of national days past, I will present awards to those who have served our nation and people well.

I end with a prayer for our nation. That the sun of peace and prosperity may always shine on Bhutan – a nation blessed by the teachings of Lord Buddha – a Shangrila blessed by the great Guru Rimpoche and founded by our revered and beloved parent Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal – a country born from the labour of Jigme Singye Wangchuck and the people of Bhutan.

My Answer in the Words of My Monarch

Photo Courtesy: Dorji Wangchuk

Ever since a graduate student in Syracuse University asked me this question -"what is the thing that keeps Bhutanese people happy?", I have been searching for an answer and I am almost growing old. 

It wasn't the economic development that we have achieved so far, otherwise Americans would have been the happiest people in the world followed by Chinese and Japanese.  It wasn't the LDC status that we still continue to languish in,  otherwise Burundi and Congo would have had the title. Perhaps it must be the geographical location- but then, how come others who dwell in and around this mountain range are not necessarily known for happiness? Nah- I bet it's not the looks of the Bhutanese people that mattered for our happiness,- there are Koreans and Indians who are better known for it and they aren't the happiest people either. 

The answer lies in the word of my Beloved Monarch -His Majesty the 5th King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.- it came in the State Banquet Address to the joint session of the parliament in Tokyo, Japan during his State visit .

He said, " Bhutanese continue to live lives of simplicity and modesty that foster a deep sense of harmony among our people...." 

Yes! there it is. It is indeed the nature of the people of Bhutan that mattered all together at the end of the day. -the simplistic nature, the modest nature, the level of contentment even though we may be the poorest on earth. The sense of harmony, I guess, is the bi-product of simplicity and modesty.

If so, where lies the challenge now? - in creating happiness or maintaining happiness?

Sweet Meeting of Sweet Sweet Hearts

This poem was written by my brother (3rd eldest) in the year 1996 in dedication to me and my dear wife after we first paired up in Sherubtse College.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

At last the beauteous lone moon began to smile

And sailed with northern star a thousand mile

Un-numbered celestial body danced with gay

But to celebrate their cousin's blithesome day!

Com'on fans, the firmament doth dance in gay

Birds on trees with joyous note go astray

Lets join the birds and the firmament to celebrate 

The sweet meeting of sweet sweet hearts in elaborate

The moon's and stars' light in union

Clears the darkness where dwells wretched million

May the two blessed beings of common heart

Spread love and happiness throughout 

May the garish wind widen not the distance

And happiness tell every moment of their existence

May the fickle fate keep her blind hand away

And let live the joyous bosoms in their own holy way!

'May this holy bud of love

By summer's reaping breathe

Turn into a beauteous flower'

'May the sun grows cold

And the stars are old

Let not the love that's found

For any body for anything sold!'

-Kuenzang Dorji Tawla

Sheer Nonsense

Relics on public display

Here is a quote from an article published in the 9th November issue of the Bhutantoday, a daily news paper in Bhutan. It talks about an incident where a Police Officer, in the midst and rage of managing or mismanaging crowd gathered to get a glimpse of Buddha and his disciples' relics brought all the way from India, bashed one student black and blue.

Close up of the relic

"An editor of a print media who was at the scene on October 4 in Tendrelthang said the police were facing a tough time managing the crowd. “I have no comments on what happened. But the police were under duress.  If the crowd was not controlled there were even chances of the relics being damaged, which is worse than people losing lives,” 

It is the second sentence of the paragraph that bothered me and I am picking on it. 

It's MY TWO CENTS again, ..wait a minute,-- Did that editor,whoever he/she may be, really say that "damaging relics would be worse than losing lives? You got to be kidding. It can't be true. If not for nothing, an editor of a print media can't go that wrong by any chance. It is got to be a misquote as it's often a case and it is only proper that it is corrected in whatever ways deemed appropriate. But for some reason, if the editor did say that, I condemn him/her from the marrow of my bone and I condemn the paper for providing space for such a sheer nonsense. 

Crowd that day- it's was chaotic indeed. 

I say non sense because; firstly, relics displayed there are bone remains of Buddha and his two disciples and by nature, even if they are precious, they are not at all delicate and destructible. Secondly, the way the so called editor, goes about placing importance to the non-living things as against the living beings, that too with human lives is something that I cannot comprehend and rationalize.

Perspective on the notion that there is a dearth of Political Leadership in Bhutan

As thrilling as the news of two more political parties in the offing, it was equally baffling to learn that the founders are actually looking so frantically for people to lead those political parties and that there is actual dearth of them in the country. It has not only impeded the process but also discounted a choice which otherwise would have strengthened democracy in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Yes! Leaders are important,- but do we know what we are looking for when talking about leadership?  Are we looking for someone with a high-powered job title? Are we looking for someone with a historical and ancestral background of leadership? Are we looking for someone with spectacular gift of gap?  Are we looking for someone with loads of family wealth or is that a fearless person we are looking for?

Here is MY TWO CENTS on the issue of leadership. While leadership is defined by many in many different ways, Hal G. Rainey- a distinguished Professor in the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia defines it as “the capacity of someone to direct and energize the willingness of people in social units to take action and achieve goals.”  (Hal Rainey, 1996). I can’t agree less with Rainey even with some stint of political spectrum into it.

If leadership is all about the ‘capacity of an individual to direct and energize the willingness of people in social units not only to take action but also to achieve goals’ what then are the characteristics that enable it? Again American authors- Kouzens and Posner has it all. They administered a questionnaire to over seventy-five thousand people around the globe, asking respondents to list the qualities they “most looked for and admired in a leader - someone whose direction they would willingly follow” and found out that it’s the honesty, forward-looking, competent and inspiration that mattered the most in the characteristics of a leader.  (Kouzens & Posner 2002), Others like intelligence, broad-mindedness, background, experience and oratory skills ranked much lower.

If the afore-mentioned characteristics are all that mattered in terms of enabling leaders to direct and energize the willingness of people in the society and having followers all along- a million dollar question would then be;- Is Bhutan really short of HONEST people who are not only FORWARD-LOOKING but COMPETENT with fair degree of INSPIRATION? Don’t we even have five of such characters to lead five political parties or are we simply not willing to understand the meaning and the concept of leadership in a way deemed appropriate?

"Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work." -Vince Lombardi 

Royal Wedding on 13-15 of October

After the ceremony at Punakha 

 "We pledge to serve our people together as a family and we will bring up children who are better educated, more prosperous and stronger than us." said His Majesty.

Royal Kiss at Changlingmithang Ground

Lhaki's First Article

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May your soul rest in PEACE

My Tuesday's return to home after office was unusual. I know it was Jigme and Lhaki's (my two wonderful kids) tuition day and as it is, I did not expect them to be at home that very evening to greet me with their lovely and sincere similes as they used to every day. A smile that rejuvenates me after hectic and monotonous eight hrs of office work and provides every reason for me to live yet another day in life.

As I approached home and switched off the engine of my car, I heard an unusual cry of a child. I could not help but immediately think of my daughter. "Is that my Lhaki?" asked myself with immense worry and cold sensation lingering down  my spine. I couldn't be wrong. It was Lhaki who was crying but what for? Did she not get along with her tuition teacher? Did her Brother bother her? Did her Mother scold her for some reason? 

I opened the door quickly and to my surprise, it wasn't only Lhaki who was crying,  Jigme was crying too. It's been really long since I saw them crying and it wasn't a pleasant surprise at all to see not only one but two kids sobbing so loudly and painfully and that too at the same time. In a flash of second, my mind automatically switched to the concern of their mother... my better half who is everything and means a world to them as much as to me. Before I could utter a word to my kids and to my great relief, she popped in from another room but looked equally dazed. 

Knowing nothing as happened to my better-half, I hugged my daughter and slowly and calmly asked her as to what happened? In the mist of her cry with such agony, I could hear KAKA but the rest of her sentence goes Wo wo and wie wie. Kaka is our pet cat and she is about six to seven months old. She has been with us as a family for little less than two months but dearly dearly loved by my two kids. 

"What happened to Kaka Jigs" I asked my son. "She is gone" replied Jigme. "How?" "A Taxi ran her over". My kids were not only saddened by the loss of a lovable pet in the name of Kaka but shocked by the live scene of a death happening right in front of their eyes. 

As we offered butter lamps and prayed for her soul to rest in peace Jigme asked me if her soul will come to him in the night as she always slept with him while Lhaki repeatedly commented about how he shouldn't be a  cab driver if he cannot see what's on the road. 

Valid questions indeed!

Tribute to Humphrey Fellowship Programme

It would be an exaggeration if I say "I am much wiser after completing my Humphrey fellowship in US". But I tell you-I would be lying if I don't tell you that.."I am much informed now".

It would be an over statement if I say that "I have conquered the world after going through the Humphrey Fellowship program in US". But I tell you- I would be understating it if I don't tell you that.."I have friends and networks all over the world now".

As much as there are many to attribute and accredit, there would also be too little or nothing to show if much of what you gained is left to go into waste. I may be wiser and may I be more connected now but what counts ultimately is what I can make out of this. While it may be too much and too early to promise anything for now but definitely will I retrospect into my own self and my way of doing things and see how and where I can change for better for I know "a journey of thousand miles begins with a single step."

And for all those good things I say "Thank You" to

·         Hubert Humphrey against whose name this wonderful program is instituted

·         The State of Department for the ownership

·         IIE for organization and coordination

·         Syracuse University for hosting us, and

·         The people of the United States of America for their taxes.

God Bless America!

Adieus SyraCUSE





Maxwell School of Syracuse University (Photo by: Jung Wook Auh)

 Dear CUSE,
Never in my wildest dream 've I ever thought I would be with you one day. It's got to be magic or some kind of karma that lead us to this destiny. Perhaps..you don't know this- you got me thinking from the day IIE introduced you to me. I 've looked into every possible record you have on the net including the GoogleEarth. And guess what? ..the more I explored and knew you better more close I felt towards you and more I longed to be with you.


Within your own limitations, you provided me with prestine but conducive environment to study, fabulous architecture to enjoy, awesome wilderness to wonder, an excellent Maxwell School of Syracuse University to study, learned professors to learn from, good facilities to flirt and wonderful people to associate with. I will forever cherish all those. The wisdom, information, network and relationship that I will carry forward should serve as good reminiscence of our love affair in future.

I know this parting would be about it for our love affair for now but in case, please don't forget to warn me in advance of  your record-breaking snowfall, piercing wind, icy rainstorm and month-long gloomy weather conditions.  

Thank you once again and adieus!

Yours lovingly

Loday Tsheten



Syracuse (Photo by: Jung Wook Auh)



Wisdom behind the Royal Decree

There is only one thing that the Election Commission of Bhutan can do judging by the Royal Decree issued to them by His Majesty on 4th of May 2011 following an appeal by so called potential but disqualified candidates a couple of days ago.

The decree, amongst others, specifically points to how unconducive the environment is for the local government election to take place and that the democracy per se might suffer if issues are not resolved before going ahead with the election.  Another important point that stands out clear and loud is on having to remain faithful to the Constitution. By this, MY TWO CENTS are of the opinion that Constitution ought to be followed come what may and that bending it to suit our temporary need would be undesirable and uncalled for.

The only viable option for the Election Commission of Bhutan now is to postpond the local government election. Postpond to the extent of cooling time required for those disqualified candidates. This would not only resolve issues but also help us remain faithful to the letter and spirit of our Constitution without having to bend or amend any portion of it. Even otherwise, what is the opportunity cost of not holding the LG election for another one year?.. afterall, we already waited so much.

What is apparently more apparent in this Royal Decree is in the promise that His Majesty made during one of his public speeches-that he will 'not even for a day rule us as a king' and that he will 'serve us as father and son' for all time to come. This Royal Decree stands testemony to it. There is absolutely no decree to this Royal Decree and I am sure it is by design. As much as it provides guidance, this decree also lays  foundation for good discourse and particpation.

That's why, I say, Bhutan has a unique system of government.

Humphrey Trip to New York

This is a part of 2010-2011 program for Humphrey Fellows at Maxwell School of Syracuse University  New York. The trip was very fruitful in many ways.  The fellows visited the offices and interacted with officials of Interpol, Democratic Governance Group, Bureau for Development Policy, UNDP, UN and networked with Maxwell alumni in New York City. The trip would not have been complete without the visit to the iconic and historical landmark of the Statue of Liberty and ofcourse, the live Lion-King show at Broadway was the icing on the cake. 

Cheers!

Double dipping of Pension and Salary in Bhutan?

The YNN news coverage on the resignation of Deputy Mayor of Syracuse, John Cowin over double dipping issue made me ponder of a similar circumstances back home. Is it an issue in Bhutan? Do we have some legal provisions somewhere to tackle such issue?

While double dipping per se- a situation where a person is collecting pension and salary at the same time, might not have chanced in the past, our recent and profound transition from Monarchy to Constitutional Democracy would have definitely triggered a situation like this. I say this because- majority of the existing politicians were either government or corporation employee prior to joining politics and it is highly likely that at least some resigned with the benefit or entitlement of government or corporation pension.

Now, how does this matter to me anyways? It does matter to me and how about this for my TWO CENTS?

As much as it is justifiable from the perspective of those who claim it as a matter of right, it would be a complete ripoff of a system for a person to be collecting both pension and salary at the same time.  Firstly, by definition, pension is supposed to help support a person at the end of a career when he/she has no other incomes. It is not supposed to be an added bonus. Secondly, imagine its sustainability-sustainability of a system meant to look after the welfare of all members in future, if everyone is to take advantage of it now. Thirdly, it is only proper that there are some legal provisions in place to this seemingly subtle but opportune subject before much is drained out off the system.

High time indeed!

Butterfly in the Dream

Exhausted physically and mentally with the day's activity I sought refuge in Jon Steward's comedy  with hulu.com. As usual, Jon was going on with his art of politician-bashing and others;- it wasn't just American this time- Muammar Gaddafi of Libya was getting some nasty bashings too. But before too long into the show, perhaps it was the magic spell of the day's exhaustion, I turned into a butterfly and off I fluttered in the realm of phantasm. 

Guess what? The world there belonged to none. There were  no boundaries and no continents. There were no regions and no countries. There were no cultures and no classes. There were no religion and no races. There were no wars and no fighting. There wasn't  even anything such as yours or mine. 

Butterflies are known for their beauty but beauty wasn't the charm there. As oblivious as I was with my pigmentation I was inconspicuous too. All that mattered for that brief moment was the sigh of relief.  Relieve from the everyday and mundane life of human being. But as much as I wanted to prolong being that butterfly, I guess, my roommate wanted to sleep- he woke me up to let me know that my comedy show with Jon Steward is still on and that it is keeping him away from kicking to slumber.

Good night and try being a butterfly in the dream. 

India, Pakistan and Cricket

It's always tempting not to spend hours infront of idiot box when arch-rivals Pakistan and India are playing cricket. It's not just about the supremacy in the field of the game, it's also about history, politics, emotions, diplomacy, relations, religion and pride. I will not venture much into it. 

I could not help but head straight to the Eggers 341 (a room in Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, Syracuse University) where the semi-final match between India and Pakistan was being telecast live under the co-ordination of the South Asia Center, Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, Syracuse University. 

The score was 60/2(20) for Pakistan when I got into the room and the first thing I did was to find out the chasing target for Pakistan. Mr. Saidal, another humphrey fellow from Pakistan who is a good friend of mine said, "260". "hmmm still doable" I said.   With the spell of every ball, overs elapsed and I could see the pressure being build up to the Pakistanis as the two men on the crease failed to find single boundary in almost seven overs. But I knew that, it is the beauty of the game. You never know- sometimes until the last ball of the final over as to who will actually win the game. There was excitement all over. 

But what was even more exciting was in the fact that I was actually watching the game with people from these two countries in the same room. That was the first time ever in my life and it was quite an experience. A particular moment that caught my attention was when one of the IAS officers who was also a student at Maxwell School of Syracuse University shook hands with my Pakistani friend to celebrate the fall of Pakistani's third wicket. 

Although the situation wasn't as tensed and awkward as it was with Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Yousuf Raza Gilani in the stadium, as much as I saw diplomacy and civility I also saw emotions and feelings for one's own country. And for those who care, India won the match and they will be facing Sri Lanka in the finals. 

Great moment indeed! and how I wish the two countries could work out their differences once and for all.

The Roar and the Mist of Niagara Falls

The Niagara Falls is considered as one of the largest and most strikingly beautiful falls in the world. The sheer volume of water and the roar it produces along with the rainbow mist as it falls majestically over the hardened but tall rocky cliff is simply overwhelming. Make a point to see it in person..but incase if you cannot for reason, do relax and check out the clips below- it will provide you a fair bit of it.

I acknowledge Mr. Samuel Cole from Liberia and Saidal Khan Luni from Pakistan for clips.

WHO AM I?

I am as fatigue as thou

About the unashamed grumble

Of the irresponsible population

Of how balmy yet blistering thou art to them

I am as distressed as thou

About the indecisive nature

Of the ungrateful population 

Of how plentiful yet limited thou art to them

I am as frustrated as thou

About the blatant criticism

Of the fraudulent population

Of how fair yet unequal thou art to them

I am as uninspired as thou

About the wavering cynicism

of the entire population

Of how tough yet soft though art to them

But as Frost once said

The woods may be lovely, dark and deep

But I have a promise to keep

Before I succumb to all

The logo that never made it to the show

This is the logo that I designed to identify the Anti-Corruption Commission of Bhutan. While it got shortlisted with many other entrants it never made its way to the finals. It's now a piece of junk occupying a good amount of space in my CPU. It's however a good part of my memory. 

Brief Explanation

Established against the backdrop of the Bhutanese color of yellow and orange is the sun- it signifies Gross National Happiness. It's about a radiant of happiness dispersing far and wide across the nation after all the evils of corruption is fought.

Firmly tagged inside the core of the logo is a bell- it signifies the nation's conscience that the ACC is affiliated with. It's about the sound of vigilance ringing loud and clear across the nation that corruption is bad for the country and that it will not be tolerated at any cost.

The color that is used to inscribe "Anti-Corruption Commission" is maroon.- It is about the symbolic nature of the Commission that indicates bravery, heroism, strength and fearlessness that the Commission is to be known and subscribing for. Maroon is also about the corporate color for ACC-something that is appropriate to be identified with.

The Adjustment Bureau

'The Adjustment Bureau' is one amongst hundreds of movies churned out by hollywood each year. With almost two hours of rolling in length, the film was directed by George Nolfi and stars Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Anthony Mackie, Terence Stamp and John Slattery. Although the film was officially themed around 'romance, scientific and fantasy, what struck and captivated me most was its relevance to the Bhutanese buddhist paradox of fate (TSHE NGON GI LAY).

Bhutanese people assign responsibility to 'TSHE NGON GI LAY' for almost everything.  Have an ugly and nagging wife- you call it a fate or TSHE NGON GI LAY even though you have thousands to choose from. Flunk exam- you call it a fate or TSHE NGON GI LAY even though you have a year's time to prepare for it. Go bankrupt- you call it a fate or TSHE NGON GI LAY even though you have so lousily strategized your business. And yes if you do well in life, that's TSHE NGON GI LAY too.

The manner in which David Norris (Matt Damon) struggles to overcome enormous hurdles put forth by mysterious men to meet Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) was simply mind boggling. To me, David found his destiny in Elise and nothing mattered to him thereafter, not even the highly proclaimed seat of the U.S Senate. He goes on to find his destiny and finds it eventually. And that is where and how David creates his own fate.

"It is not the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves"- William Shakespeare

MY TWO CENTS on Tobacco Control Act of Bhutan

There is no denying to good intention behind the Tobacco Control Act of Bhutan 2010 (TCA 2010). I am sure it must have been aimed at keeping tobacco at bay in the country. Given the nature and all the ill-effects associated with tobacco- who would not wish to stay away from it? No tobacco would mean no bronchitis, no emphysema, no lung cancer and no other tobacco-related diseases. No diseases would mean healthy productive citizens and less health-care expenditure to the government coffer.

However it is easier said than done. As much as it is tempting to probe into the fundamentals of how the TCA 2010 came into being, it is equally tempting to analyse the implications of implementing it. So here is 'MY TWO CENTS' on what this Act would entail.

Because there is a provision for people to pay tax and consume in the TCA 2010, -those with riches can consume tobacco products anyways whereas poorer section of the society cannot, even though the craving for it remains the same. It promotes INEQUALITY amongst the society and this is what good public policy should avoid.

Because tobacco products are prohibited from selling and buying within Bhutan, -the country is not only denied of an economic activity and subsequently an opportunity to earn revenue through tax but also provides fertile ground for the black market to thrive. Loss of ECONOMIC GAINS and the NEGATIVE EXTERNALITIES of the likes of black market is what a good policy should avoid.

Last but not the least, because most offences in TCA 2010 are punishable with minimum sentence of felony of fourth degree, -it would mean prosecuting and imprisoning every offender regardless of anything. Too many prisoners and criminals would not only distort the image of what we are as a society but also incur huge financial cost in terms of maintaining prisoners and operating prisons. Cost implication or FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY is another important aspect a good public policy would not ignore.

Cheers and let me know if I make sense.

Supreme Court Verdict and Government Moral Responsibility

What a sheer coincidence! I was recently writing a paper as a part of my course on- 'when public officials are morally obliged to step down or resign from offices' and then there is a live moral obligation discussion going on surrounding the current administration after the recent verdict of the Supreme Court.

Here is MY TWO CENTS on moral obligation and whether the Government should dissolve.

While resigning is one of the moral resources increasingly adopted and sought after by many when confronted with ethical issues it is not necessarily a prudent thing to do over every conflicted principles. This is because it entails a whole lot of complications and it will often be accompanied by social and financial obligation to the state.

Dobel; one of the authors of public integrity argues that the moral landscape of resignation is complex and that the decision to resign should build upon the three domains of pubic integrity i.e. keeping intact the personal moral capacities and commitments, living up to the obligations of office, and effectiveness. He states that each domain and leg of the tripod is needed to support public integrity and that the collapse of anyone of them can deeply wound public integrity and provide strong and often definitive moral reason to resign. (Dobel, 1999)

As little as the dent to the Dobel's tripod, there is also very little damage done in terms of the actual victim as a result of Government's action. Thus there is no strong obligation for the Government to step down. And as far as the constitutional aspect of the issue is concerned, the Government deserves the benefit of doubt and chance in all respect.

Therefore, for the good of Bhutanese democracy and welfare of its people, I am not wishing for the Government to step down and it is my hope as a citizen of Bhutan that Government will stay to see us through.

“No member ought to accept office in a full consciousness and that he ought not to resign it for frivolous reasons.” -Aneurin Bevan

Welcome

Welcome to "My Two Cents"

As nervous as I am as to how 'MY TWO CENTS' will multiply in the course of time I am also equally excited about the platform that I long longed for. A platform not only to write but also to share with my beloved friends and family across the world.

While I don't know if you should at all care but for my own personal record,- the objective behind my blogging is simply to keep up with the changing phase of social media with the change of information technology and subsequently to tame myself with respect to productivity. It is my sincere hope that this 'TWO CENTS' of mine will grow to give me courage and strength to maintain connectivity and continuity for long time to come in future.

So welcome onboard once again. Wish me luck and remember I will value your comments and criticism.

Best wishes,

Loday Tsheten