Four chiwogs in Pema Gatshel do not have Tshogpa candidates for the third local government elections. This has worried the people of the four chiwogs.
According to the Dzongkhag Election Officer, the interested candidates were disqualified since they could not get the audit clearances or had not completed the cooling period after withdrawing from political parties.
People in Pangthang Chiwog under Chhimung Gewog gathered to attend the common forum last week. But there were only two candidates, one contesting for the post of Gup and the other for Mangmi. There was no Tshogpa candidate.
Voters say a Tshogpa is vital for planning developmental activities. Without one, they say they will be under-represented.
Lungten, a voter from Pangthang said, “A Tshogpa is like a homemaker. Any development plan will have to go through the Tshogpa. Without one, we won’t know what is happening the gewog.”
Another voter, Lhajay Wangchuk added, “It is important to have a Tshogpa. We won’t have anyone to plan the activities. In the past, we used to have messengers but a Tshogpa does these works now.”
“Without a Tshogpa, we will have no one to report our issues. If we have one, we can make our pleas through him or her,” said Tshering Wangdi, a voter.
Similarly, Khengzor Chiwog in Khar Gewog, Yarjaywung Chiwog in Chhoekhorling Gewog and Wungborang in Dungmin Gewog are all without Tshogpa candidates.
According to the Dzongkhag Election Officer, a bye-election will be conducted later by the ECB to fill these positions. Until then, these chiwogs will remain without Tshogpas.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
Edited by Sangay Chezom
