The Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) has filed a lawsuit in the High Court against the government. The party is suing the government for an alleged unconstitutional implementation of tax alteration.
DNT’s President Dr. Tandin Dorji, Secretary General Tenzin Lekphell and Party Manager Phurba attended the miscellaneous hearing on the case held today.
“We are submitting the case for two reasons,” said Secretary General Tenzin Lekphell. “Number one, the present government has violated the constitution. They have touched upon the tax, altered the tax and given tax holidays to some institutions and some business bodies. This is not fair. This is not as per the constitution and the public financial act 2012.”
The second reason, he said is, the constitution is the mother of all laws, a pillar for Bhutan’s success and the country’s new democracy. “Now, if every new government touches, infringes and breaches the constitution, where are we heading to?”
The party says the case is not about DNT against PDP. Nor is it about the government versus the opposition or the National Assembly versus the National Council. Rather, the party said it is about protecting and upholding the constitution and ensuring the supreme law is not violated.
In a news release, the party states that in attempting to justify his government’s erroneous action, the Prime Minister has misled the nation by misinterpreting several legal clauses including the ruling of the Supreme Court on the first constitutional case.
This, DNT, says is not only wrong but a serious breach of trust that was bestowed upon him by the people of Bhutan.
The court will study the merit of the case and decide whether or not to take in the case. If the case is accepted, it will become the second constitutional case. The country’s first constitutional case was fought between the previous government (DPT) and the opposition (PDP).
