The Opposition says the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) should take necessary action to protect the three “surrendered” secretaries and restore their dignity.
Opposition Leader, Dr. Pema Gyamtsho, during a press conference yesterday, said the case of “surrendered” secretaries, is a case of defamation. He said the Cabinet had not followed due process when the government had “surrendered” the three secretaries.
“…Because they were surrendered, whether we like it or not, the damage has been done. They have lost their credibility,” said Dr. Pema Gyamtsho.
He said they have suffered the shame of being “surrendered” to the RCSC. “And as per the Civil Service Act, RCSC is responsible for protecting the civil servants and ensuring that they are not defamed.”
The Cabinet had “surrendered” the Cabinet Secretary, Dasho Penden Wangchuk, Economic Affairs Secretary, Dasho Sonam Tshering and Foreign Affairs Secretary, Yeshey Dorji to the Royal Civil Service Commission on December 12, last year.
A press release from the Cabinet stated the secretaries had exceeded their mandates, breached rules and misused the Committee of Secretaries.
RCSC had later gone on to say they alone had the power to impose major penalty on civil servants above the executive level of the civil service and that the RCSC does not accept the “surrendering” of the secretaries by the cabinet.
Dramedtse-Ngatshang, MP Ugyen Wangdi said the cabinet had failed to follow even the basic fundamental of the rule of law.
“In the rule of law, one basic fundamental is that the accused or the person who is being charged should be given an opportunity to defend. That opportunity was not given.”
He said the three secretaries should have been called before the cabinet and given an opportunity to explain. “In the present case, they were taken by surprise. I believe, the order came as a surprise.”
When BBS tried to get views from the three secretaries, one of them said they do have a say on the case. “It is not that we don’t have any views on the case. We have views but we are in an awkward situation right now. We cannot make any comments. Whatever we say can be interpreted in ways that might not be helpful for us.”
The three secretaries have not been reassigned yet.
RCSC has decided to reassign the three secretaries after an investigation.
