The Mangmi of Wangphu Gewog in Samdrup Jongkhar was terminated from his office earlier this week after the Larger Bench of the High Court ordered his termination within two months from the day of the judgment on April 5. He was found to be holding a contractor license in his name. According to the Election Act, no person seeking election as a Local Government shall, at the time of filing his/her nomination as candidate for such election, be the holder of any office of profit, nor shall such person, if elected, hold any office of profit so long as he/she continues as a Local Government member.
According to the judgment, the Mangmi served two terms holding a contractor license. During the 2011 Local Government elections, he submitted an undertaking letter to the returning officer stating that he will transfer the license to his brother’s name if he wins the election. However, he didn’t transfer the license ownership after winning the election. And in 2016, the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) made him sign an undertaking committing to transfer his license within 30 days if he wins a second term. But after winning the second term, neither did he transfer his license nor did the ECB followed up on it. The Larger Bench also ordered the ECB to carry out their duty with due diligence.
According to sources, the issue of the Mangmi holding a contractor licence came up during a tendering for construction work at the end of 2019 in Samdrup Jongkhar. The committee then reported the matter to the Samdrup Jongkhar election office then. The case reached the court in January last year.
BBS got in touch with the Mangmi and he said although the license is in his name, his elder brother was running the business.
Tshering Zam
