As Bhutan Prepares for Democracy, Voters Ask WhyGwinnett Election Guide
Cox News Service
Sunday, November 11, 2007
THIMPHU, Bhutan — Kuenzang Dorji has an unusual problem.
As interim prime minister of Bhutan, a tiny Buddhist monarchy wedged between China and India, he is responsible educating 632,000 citizens on the nuts and bolts of democracy before the country's first national election next year.
 CRAIG SIMONS/Cox Newspapers Sonam, a 27-year-old shop keeper in central Bhutan, worried that democracy will prove worse than the country's current monarchy.  CRAIG SIMONS/Cox Newspapers A police officer directs traffic in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. The city has no street lights. |
But most Bhutanese would rather keep their king.
Half the size of Indiana and largely mountainous, Bhutan is one of the world's most isolated nations, with few foreign companies, an overwhelmingly rural economy and a lack of basic infrastructure.
Even during the peak travel season, just two flights arrive at the country's sole airport each day. In Thimphu, Bhutan's capital, the first stoplight installed was removed several years ago after residents complained it conflicted with local culture.
"Bhutan has enjoyed unprecedented progress, peace and prosperity, and that was all because of the good governance of (King Jigme Singye Wangchuk), so people have no reason to want a change in the running of the country," Dorji said during an interview in an office adorned with images of Buddhist saints.
Many in Bhutan are skeptical of democracy and worry that dividing communities along political lines is already causing conflict ahead of elections in February and March 2008.
"Backbiting, scorn and suspicion have clearly become the order of the day," a Bhutanese newspaper recently said about politicking in Rangjung, a town near the Indian border.
Yet King Wangchuk, 52, who began giving up absolute power in 1998 and recently abdicated the throne in favor of his 27-year-old son, is intent on completing a decade-long shift to democracy. He ordered parliamentary elections next year, when his son's power will be reduced to a figurehead similar to the Queen of England.
But the country's emerging democracy has — literally — a made-up feel to it.
To practice for the election, the government held a mock primary in April. The ballot offered voters four fictitious parties, each standing for a different priority: free health care and education, environmental protection, industrialization and cultural preservation. (The party standing for cultural preservation won.)
Two real political parties have been created: The People's Democratic Party and the Druk Phuensum (Virtuous Bhutan) Party.
But the two parties offer little substantive differences and are unlikely to criticize prior government policies, experts said, noting that civic organizations and the press is tightly controlled in Bhutan.
A People's Democratic Party supporter, a shopkeeper named Sonam, worries that democracy will lead to corruption.
Another shopkeeper, Dhendup Dorji, a supporter of the Druk Phuensum Party, said campaigners for the People's Democratic Party have already violated campaign laws by offering to buy votes.
"People didn't join the parties because they have different ideologies, but because the king asked them to, so it won't be like in the United States where people vote on issues," said Yeshey Lhendrup, a royal adviser.
King Wangchuk — known for arguing that "gross national happiness" is a more appropriate development yardstick than "gross national product" — began to open Bhutan's economy after coming to power in 1972. In recent years, he has accelerated development.
Telephone and Internet usage have soared and television — introduced in 1999 — is now available in most towns. "Desperate Housewives" has become a favorite program and imported magazines and movies are popular.
As foreign cultures filter in, they are creating a growing cultural divide between young Bhutanese and their more traditional elders, and the shift to democracy is meant partly to relieve tensions.
"As people have more access to information, they will call for more democracy, so the king has decided that this is the right time for the election," said Yeshey Zimba, a founding member of the Druk Phuensum Party.
What will democracy do for Bhutan?
In Thimphu, 20-year-old Sangay Thrinleey — a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger and rapper Eminem — couldn't answer that question.
"I don't know," he replied with a shrug. "I just listen to the king."