| English | Dzongkha | Friday, July 30, 2021 |
The two recently elected Members of the Parliament (MP), Karma Lhamo from Monggar and Karma Dorji from Nganglam constituencies formally joined office today. Administered by the Chief Justice, they took the oath of affirmation in the National Assembly hall.
The Opposition Party is asking the government to clarify the doubts and apprehensions hovering over the issue of the mix-and-match of COVID-19 vaccines. According to a press release from the party, the government should provide complete information and transparency to the people.
Nganglam constituency has been Druk Phuensum Tshogpa’s stronghold for the past three parliamentary elections. But voters went for a change this time. They elected Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa’s 45-year-old Karma Dorji as their MP-elect during yesterday’s bye-election. He is one of the founding members of the DNT party.
The National Council adopted the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill 2021 today. The bill will now enable selling, buying and distributing tobacco and tobacco products legally in the country. The National Assembly declared the bill as an Urgent Bill following continuous smuggling of tobacco products through the country’s porous southern border and associated threats of importing coronavirus into the country.
With the poll day just a day away, Monggar and Nganglam constituencies are all set to elect their new National Assembly representatives. Campaigns have closed and polling officials have been deployed to all the polling stations.
With Nganglam Throm in Pema Gatshel under lockdown until further notice, the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) started facilitating the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) mobile voting booths yesterday. The facilitation is for those who are above 65 years and persons with disabilities. Meanwhile, other eligible voters are given the opportunity to vote through mobile postal ballot voting facilitation. More than 500 registered for both mobile and postal ballot voting facilities.
The National Assembly decided to lift the ban on selling, distributing, buying, possessing, and transporting tobacco or tobacco products in the country today. This is in light of the continuous smuggling of tobacco products through the country’s porous southern border, as well as the threats of COVID-19 distribution. However, the ban on the production and manufacturing of tobacco and tobacco products in the country is still retained. The house will adopt the Bill tomorrow forward it to the National Council for consideration.
As opposed to the National Assembly’s recommendation, the Office of the Prime Minister will continue to function under the Cabinet Secretariat. This was what the joint committee of the Lhengye Zhungtshog Bill, 2020 recommended. The joint sitting of the Parliament endorsed the recommendation today. The National Assembly, during the fourth session of the third Parliament, recommended that there should be a dedicated Secretariat office for the Prime Minister which the National Council did not approve.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) facilitated mobile Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) facilitation booths for the upcoming bye-election in the Monggar constituency for the first time yesterday. The facility takes the voting procedures to the voters’ doorsteps. The two-day voting through the mobile booth facilities was started in all the five gewogs yesterday. All 230 registered voters for the mobile booth facility cast their votes.
The Speaker of the National Assembly declared the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill 2021 as an Urgent Bill today. The Economic Affairs Minister presented on the need to lift the ban on the sale of tobacco products in the country at the National Assembly today. The Minister said this is considering the threats of spreading COVID-19 through the country’s porous southern border. The Bill is referred to the Legislative Committee of the house for further review. It will be tabled to the National Assembly on Thursday this week for the third reading.