Bhutan unveils new constitution

The 49-year-old king came to the throne when he was 16
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has unveiled a new constitution that will transform the absolute monarchy into a two-party democratic system.
King Jigme Singye Wangchuk says the draft will be sent to all 530,000 citizens, asking for their views.

The proposed 34-article constitution outlines the role of the monarchy, clergy and the duties of the people.

Bhutan's chief justice told the BBC a referendum would be held at the end of the year to ratify the constitution.

Steady progress

The proposed code is the culmination of four years of preparation for democracy.

One of its suggestions is for a national council to govern the country that will be filled by members elected to the national assembly.

The country is more important than the king

King Jigme Singye Wangchuk

The constitution will replace the royal decree of 1953 that gave the king absolute power.

Chief Justice Sonam Tobgye told the BBC that the 49-year-old king wanted all Bhutan's citizens to read the draft and send in their suggestions in good time.

The king told the country's only newspaper Kuensel: "The sovereignty, stability and well-being of the country must be placed above everything else. The country is more important than the king."

King Wangchuk assumed the throne at the age 16, the fourth ruler in the Wangchuk dynasty that came to power in December 1907.

The transition began four years ago when the king handed down powers of daily governance to a council of ministers and even empowered the national assembly to force a royal abdication if the motion was backed by three-quarters of its membership.

Observers say Bhutan's slow but steady progress towards democracy is in contrast to developments in Nepal, where King Gyanendra seized power this year and dismissed the elected government.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4385649.stm

I guess after you cleanse out your country of undesirables, it is a good good move to introduce "democracy" after a few years to become the perfect modern monarch!

phooey!

What a load crock! I want to know when Jigme and his cronies are going to address the issue of the more than 100 thousand ethic nepali bhhutanese Jigme's regime drove out of the country years ago and the thousands others they killed or raped.

All folks want to sees nowadays is a "buddhist" nation and its pristine culture, not the ethnic cleansing, not the suffering.

Maybe after Gyan Bahadur cleans out the country, he will do the same and become the perfect monarch, aye?!

Gallu Bro:

What I read from our sajha posting is that the cause of 100K Bhutani suffering in Nepal is the work of none other than Girja himself. I guess this was one of his effort to export failed democracy system from Nepal to Bhutan.

My question is why do Girja need to butt in others affair? Because of him not only 24 million nepali are suffering bout also 100K nepali from Bhutan.

हात्तीको देखाउने दाँत।
भए जति नेपालीलाइ लखेटेर अहिले भारत र अमेरिकालाई रिझाउन प्रजातन्त्रको नाटक खेल्दैछ, जिग्मे।
विश्वका ठुला प्रजातन्त्र भनाउदा भारत र अमेरिका चाहिं त्यै चाललाई ठिक भन्दै अर्को नाटक गर्दै छन्।

"भए जति नेपालीलाइ लखेटेर अहिले भारत र अमेरिकालाई रिझाउन प्रजातन्त्रको नाटक खेल्दैछ, जिग्मे। "

रितु जी कम्ति मा पनि भुटानी लाई लखेटेको भन्नुस न हो। यो त "बा भकारी मा लुक्याछैनन् क्या रे।" भन्या जस्तो भो।

-सरु

पहीलो कुरा त Nepal is Nepal, not Bhutan. Ritu and Saru are both right about Bhutan trying to impress India and America, however, I must add that I think Bhutan has no choice as India's puppet to do what India wants, which will strengthen Indias views about Nepal and the rest of the world. India's eventual goal is to make Nepal like Bhutan too, which will never happen because Nepalis are not Bhutanese! So Dumb to have their own embassies, in INDIA.

डाका Jigmey is only doing what is necessary to stay in power himself under India's fingertips. Hopefully, he will take the diseased democracy away from Nepal. Best Wishes to Jigmey hope he is still chewing those durkhas/churpise :-)!

Jai Nepal