The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) concluded its second national convention Monday in the capital electing Opposition Leader, Tshering Tobgay, for the second term as its new President.
A noted blogger in the country, Tobgay is reported to have secured 131 votes out of 134 votes cast.
Talking to reporters after the election, newly elected President Tobgay said that the former party president Sangye Ngedup would no longer be connected to the party. However, he didn’t elaborate if his general membership was also scrapped.
Ngedup had resigned from his post in 2008 when his party suffered a fatal defeat. He had said, “The PDP has lost the first democratic elections mainly because of me. I must own up to it and therefore resign as the party president.”
According to BBS, the convention formally endorsed Yogesh Tamang as the interim General Secretary and Sonam Wangyal as the youth co-ordinator.
Some of the party leaders who attended the second convention expressed their hope that the PDP would win the elections in 2013, or if it fails, at least 15 seats would be secured.
The convention also decided to make another request at the Election Commission to accept its logo, earlier rejected by the commission.
President Tobgay is a Member of Parliament representing Sombaykha Constitutency in Haa.
VERY WARM CONGRATULATION Mr. T. Tobgay for being elected as the President of OL for the second term. People, like you, have greater potentialities to DEMOCRATIZE Bhutan. So far lot of democratic activities have been visibly clear in Bhutan. However, the true and full fleged democracy has still not shine in Bhutan. You are the one to make it fully democratic where all citizens will smile with you, journalist will be surrounding you, and the GNH (fake today) will become the reality of Bhutan because of you. So, try for it.
BEST OF LUCK
Congratulations Mr. Tobgay for winning the second term as the President of PDP.
That of course was easy, considering the lack of leadership within PDP. No one was seriously contesting against you. So congratulations, but you have not still won the trophy.
As the president of an opposition party in the Parliament and as the Opposition Leader yourself – you do not seem to be doing enough. In fact you are rarely doing anything, except writing your blogs; which is more of a hobby rather than a political responsibility.
When the King and the Prime Minister are moving around the country and meeting people; you never want to leave Thimphu. You have not established clear views on how you intend to solve the country’s problems. You are still a big bureaucrat. There are a lot of areas, you can leverage your influence if you want to. But, you are just the real ‘Loyal Opposition’ in spiirt and function that you can make no one happy even during your second term, except of course yourself.