An almost neglected dzongkhag with just about 1,842 registered voters, Gasa became the political hotbed when Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party failed to secure candidates for both the constituencies of Gasa.
Battle lines were drawn a long time back. The lines appeared when political parties began courting potential candidates. All knew the real task lay in Gasa. With just about 33 graduates, including two former parliamentarians and National Council member, Sangay Khandu, the new political parties had started wooing potential individuals from as early as 2010.
Never did the political parties imagine that Gasa would make or break parties in the 2013 elections. Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party’s President, Sonam Tobgay, expressed shock and disappointment after his party’s letter of intent was rejected by the Election Commission of Bhutan for failing to secure candidates from Gasa.
There were allegations in social media that another party, Druk Chirwang Tshogpa, had bought BKP’s candidates from Gasa leading to BKP’s disqualification. DCT’s Party President, Lily Wangchhuk has dismissed the allegations as being baseless.
“As a party that is working towards bringing justice in the country, how can we resort to such a measure? As the leader of DCT, this is something intolerable”, said the President.
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With this recent incident, people have started questioning if Gasa being such a small Dzongkhag should have two constituencies?
Tucked away among the folds of great mountains, Gasa has four gewogs: Laya, Khamaed, Lunana and Khatoed. Laya and Khamaed are under one constituency.
“The reason for having a minimum of two constituencies and a maximum of seven constituencies as enshrined in the Constitution was a discussion that happened for a long time. Both Their Majesties had taken the time to consult people and lot of time had been spent in drafting the Constitution. Therefore, I do not believe that there is a constitutional issue”, insists, Sangay Khandu, Gasa’s Member of Parliament in the National Council.
He added that the Constitution through two to seven ranges of constituencies tries to protect minority interests.
There are politicians who feel the root problem lies with the Royal Civil Service Commission’s rules and regulations. The Vice-President of the People’s Democratic Party, Damchoe Dorji, said civil servants are supposed to be apolitical but those with potential to be political candidates are all in service.
“To join politics means there is no guarantee that they will win. In fact, if there are five parties now, only two parties are going to get through. What happens to the people who have sacrificed everything to join the other three parties?” asks Damchoe Dorji. He added that with a cooling period of three years for every candidate contesting in the elections, the situation does not appear very attractive to those who would want to return to being civil servants.
[pullquote]To say Gasa is holding other constituencies at ransom would be wrong because in a democracy, as much as majority rules, minority interests must be kept in mind and must be given due value.”
– Sangay Khandu[/pullquote]
While many believe that Gasa is holding the other 45 constituencies at ransom, MP Sangay Khandu sees it differently.
