“My parliamentarians are scaring me”

My goodness! What is it boiling down to? For the first time in my life, I’m scared to be a Bhutanese, much less proud!

I’ve not tuned into BBS. They commanded, with a thumping majority, that television was bad for us. So I read the papers. That is where it gets even more frightening!

Yesterday’s Kuensel edition had the MPs of Trongsa, Wangduephodrang and Punkaha come out with audacious sound-bites such as “useless discussions” (the Punakha MP). The Wangduephodrang MP went a step farther and lambasted the Opposition Leader for his lack of “discipline” and the Trongsa MP took the “In-House Cake” for actually saying this: "This Saturday there was a Kuensel story saying that MPs will misappropriate CDG but if we were against the media then this reporter would be thrown in prison.”

Who is he to assume that the reporter is a felon-in-disguise? What makes him blatantly disregard the reporter’s profession by presuming all the media does is concoct fictitious stories? Where does he get the gut and the guile to sit so smugly on that moral high chair? And really, who the heck is he?

Our Prime Minister says, “The constitution is not a stick.” Our Housing Minister says the government keeps getting attacked. Our Trade Minister presumes the media is already compromised because it has commercial motives and objectives.

Whew! There really is neither room nor cause for debate or deliberations if the house feels so strongly negative about the whole kingdom and its stupid inhabitants.

The Opposition Leader getting the brickbats in a closed-door session is of little astonishment. In light of a media backlash and black-out, I guess the goings on is really none of our business.

If that be the case, then I’m scared. I’m scared that the culture of sycophancy is gaining more ground as it gets espoused in the most auspicious of houses. This kind of blatant pleasing should be nipped; cut and dry by the party’s leaders.

I’m scared that more and more decisions will be made, presumably on our behalf, by the government as it sees and deems fit; leaving really no ground for us to get a toe-hold, much less a foothold.

I’m scared that in light of the media black-out and backlash, the fourth estate will weaken; leaving no room for transparent broadcasts or objective reportage.

I’m scared that the government is beginning to bully not just the Opposition Leader but the very citizens that elected them.

If these are scary-times for us; we must hold firm and mirror their actions back to them and let them see how scared they look and sound.

Their decision to cancel the live coverage smacks of skeletons in the closet.

Their unhappiness and surprise at the National Council’s decision to go ahead “live” sounds like sour-grapes and tantrums.

Their pointed attack at the National Council for its supposed dabbling of the Constitution sounds like they are doing things “Un-Constitutional.”

People did think there were cracks on the wall but that certain lights were still shining in.

Now it looks like they unwittingly opened up a “Pandora’s Box.” Now it looks like they’ve lost the plot. Now it increasingly looks like they want to have things their way with fear and favor.

Now it looks like the DPT’s huge surge in popularity pre-poll is a long and distant memory.

Now it looks like the next elections might be the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa’s to lose.

All for want of a camera, a reporter and a few constitutional observations.

Ps: YourLustForLifeStartsRightNow!

Monkeys In The House

Lately i've been off the tube. Wimbledon has been a blur along with the Confederations Cup in South Africa. Both went great guns. The best Confederations Cup ever is how its being spinned and rightly so; watching some of the highlights. Looks like the "Fed-Express" came to a premature ejaculation at SW19. The fact that Rafa the Bull was out with a knee injury took the gloss-off for me.

But closer home, its been the charade surrounding the decision of the DPT government not to broadcast live the National Assembly proceedings that gets my goat.

I had a god night's sleep. Woke up with no special dreams and drive off to work. I walk in and see today's issue of Kuensel.

"Opp. leader & media hauled over coals" reads the banner headline!

At first i'm thinking the mining issue is now burning red-hot and somehow our Opp. leader- with the media is getting roasted.

I read the story. If this is democracy gimme back my monarchy; gimme back my king! Looks like in the absence of live cameras the DPT did what it wanted to but could not in the first session: maul the opposition leader for all they were worth. I dare say this restricted public mauling was done in typical Bhutanese fashion: Make sure nobody actually sees it other than characters already involved. Make sure you give it your all- lock, stock and barrel. And make sure you do it in front of the people that matter (your bosses).

The DPT is taking sucking-up and arse-licking to higher grounds.

I read on and find these comments: "No discipline" (directed at the OL) from the Punakha MP. "Useless Issues and discussions." The Wangduephodrang MP.

"This Saturday there was a Kuensel story saying that MPs wil misappropriate CDG but if we were against the media then this reporter would be thrown in prison." The Trongsa MP (There was no such story and anyways, as Kuensel rightly pointed out, a reporter cannot be thrown in prison because an MP wants to).

These were party cadres and monkeys shouting off the banana boat. There were disturbing comments from seasoned leaders. Lyonpo Zimba said "The new government was being attacked." Presumably for no rhyme or reason by the Media, the National Council and the Opposition Leader. Lyonpo Khandu Wanchuk said " the danger with the media is that some of them are commercial entities and maybe guided by commercial interests over that of the people and the nation."

If he stands for re-election, he'll not get my vote.

As for the opposition leader, he deserves more than the brickbats he's being subjected to. But then again, these are brickbats coming in from monkeys in a house in which no-one knows what's happening because it's on a media-black-out and backlash path.

Kudos to the Opposition Leader for sticking it out and sticking it to them. All the points he raised were valid, sensible and subject to discussion and scrutiny.

I'm suddenly absolutely uncomfortable with the actions and statements made by the DPT government. Who the hell is that monkey from Trongsa to declare that his better volition not to throw the Kuensel reporter in prison was his tolerance and acceptance of and for the media? Who the heck is that monkey from Punakha to talk about "discipline?" if he means discipline of the kind that "sees no evil, speaks no evil and hears no evil?" Who in this sacred begotten kingdom is that monkey from Wangduephodrang to absolve issues the Opposition Leader brought about as being "useless discussions?"

Mr Lyonchhen, please cage in your monkeys before they harm you, your party and the exercise and process of a democracy.

Mr Speaker, please rein in your monkeys before all decorum and dignity is lost. Shakespeare's "My monkey for a house, my monkey for a house" comes to light and mind, albeit a li'l modified.

This democracy perhaps is yours to mess-up. This kingdom, perhaps is yours to break-up The next elections, perhaps is yours to lose but please do remember the old harbor for that is where all ships anchor, dock and rest.

"For the people; Of the people and By the people!" And for want of a few renegade monkeys, we're no way losing what's been gifted to us from the Throne: The Constitution and a Democratic Way of Life for Each and Every Bhutanese.

Ps: YourLustForLifeStartsRightNow!