DNT defers appointment of new party president

The decision to appoint the new party president of Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) has been deferred for now, according to party’s general secretary Phurba.

He said the party has not decided whether to elect the president and even not decided whom to be appointed.

“We deferred the appointment of party president,” he said.

According to the DNT’s charter, the party president will relinquish the post after he becomes the Prime Minister or opposition leader; meaning that a person is not allowed to hold the posts of both party president and Prime Minister.

According to Phurba, the main purpose for having a new party president is to lead the party and its activities without disturbing the elected members.

“The party is not able to appoint its president. At the same time, those who are not elected but credible members of the party are not willing to align with any political party,” he said.

Meanwhile, the party had also drafted Term of References (ToR) for the party president to outline specific roles of the party president and to avoid overlapping its responsibilities and possible conflicts with the head of the government.

The general secretary said the party having a president will enable the Prime Minister to focus on governance.

“However, the party can appoint a non-elected member. The problem is in the party when there is no resources, they do not want to be the president. It is a voluntarily post because the president does not get salary from the party,” he added. “The party members feel that being party president is not good financially.” 

Meanwhile, one main responsibility of the party president is to represent the party at various national and international forums and the party hopes that electing a new president will strengthen intra-party democracy.

Phurba said the party’s executive committee had no other options than just to defer appointing the new president.

As of now, the responsibility of the party’s president of DNT is officially looked after by the general secretary, but Prime Minister Dr. Lotay Tshering is still the party’s president.

“According to our charter, we have to appoint a new party president, but prime minister is still our president until we get a concrete idea or potential candidate,” Phurba said.

Kinley Yonten from Thimphu