A new political party is in the offing to contest the general election of 2013. The Social Democratic Party, constituted mostly of former PDP members and the civil servants now serving the government, believes in the social democratic principles as its ideology. Dr Tandin Dorji a member of core group is the main architect of the new party.
The party said it will encourage capitalism or privatization, while looking at the welfare of rural mass in terms of providing the social services. Privatization of health care is a likely agenda for the SDP.
Although, not expecting to form the next elected government, SDP is looking forward to take the opposition that will be much stronger than the two member opposition of today.
It will be a choice for the people who are looking for an alternative, said Tandin Dorji a former PDP member from Punakha.
“It is difficult for the new party to go to the public as there are election and civil service rules which restrict us from going open to the public. Everything had to be done secretly.”
It is not necessary to have Tshogpa, the village representative, according to Tandin. The DPT and PDP have paid Tshogpas and offices in the village level, which led them to be in huge debt, he argued.
The party believes in cultivating a new generation of leaders for bhutan. “We have seen the same old breed of ministers nothing much is done to mentor the new generation leaders,” opined Dr Tandin.
The party is said to be charting out the strategies to run sustainably even without the state funding.
