The People’s Democratic Party says its decision to nominate Health Minister Tandin Wangchuk for Speaker was not about replacing a failed leader. The party says it wanted someone who could provide stronger support and communication to the Prime Minister. Speaking on BBS yesterday, the PDP secretary general said former Speaker Lungten Dorji’s resignation was not due to poor performance, but followed discussions with the Prime Minister.
The PDP spokesperson said the former Speaker’s resignation should not be interpreted as a reflection of his performance in the post. The party said he served well during his tenure and resigned only after discussions with the Prime Minister.
“Former Speaker Lungten Dorji served well; he did not fail in his role. He submitted his resignation after discussing the matter with the Prime Minister. The reason for his resignation was that the Prime Minister needed someone who could provide greater support and work more closely with him,” said Kuenga Tashi, Secretary General, PDP.
Following his resignation, the PDP began looking for a new candidate. The party held two rounds of internal discussions and invited interested members to come forward.
The Deputy Speaker was also approached but declined to contest.
The party eventually settled on Health Minister Tandin Wangchuk, whose nomination was backed by all 31 members. The party secretary general said his experience as a minister and his ability to communicate were among the factors behind the choice.
“We understand how important the Speaker’s role is. The former Speaker served well, but we felt there was a need to do better. The health minister is serving his second term, and we needed someone who could speak up and communicate effectively. That is why we chose the health minister as our candidate for Speaker,” added the party’s secretary general.
However, PDP’s choice did not win the House’s support.
Opposition MP Tempa Dorji was elected as the new Speaker, defeating the ruling party’s candidate.
“We are disheartened that we lost the election, but that is part of the process. The Speaker is a neutral figure; he does not belong to one party or another. He is responsible for presiding over the sessions of the entire House. We will continue to work as we have been,” further added the party’s secretary general.
Despite losing the election, the party says it remains united and continues to have confidence in the party’s leadership.
Deki Lhazom
Edited by Sonam Pem
