Exploring Citizenship in Bhutan's New Democracy

Citizenship in Bhutan’s New Democracy means the ballot day. The ballot day marks citizen’s responsibility to secure liberty, ensure justice, tranquility and promote unity and happiness in the country for all times as enshrined in the Constitution. It also means that a

citizen shall ensure that the Government safeguards the interest of the nation, protect the security, strengthen sovereignty, promote good governance and allow people to directly participate in the development management, uphold the rule of law in the country and preserve environment and culture at all times.

Citizenship is the test to gain the right to life, liberty, information and freedom of speech, opinion, conscience life, health and education, preserve environment or culture guaranteed by the constitution by casting the ballot more consciously. 

In short, in a new democracy, Citizenship is like a seed, we reap what we have sown. The seed was sown first time in 2008 when we had the first election to transit from absolute monarchy to constitutional democracy. The growth that has taken place during the three years of span since the formation of the government is the result of our citizenship. The criticism and mistakes we saw over the three year span is also the result of our citizenship.  

 The day we cast our ballot is indeed is the day that actually begins our journey for next five years and beyond. In a democracy, people decide, not the government, people take the responsibility, citizen plan, structure what is best for them. Citizenship is a key to open the door of progress and growth, peace and happiness, social and economic ladder, political stability and opportunity to transform the nation’s wealth, strengthen its sovereignty and security or promoting the principle of gross national happiness. It also means otherwise. For instance the vote that is influence by greed, selfishness, favourtism, and bribery is like a key which opens the door of poverty, political breakdown resulting in internal instability, misery, unhappiness and sow the seed of corruption.

True citizenship can bring a unity, foster tolerance, mutual respect, compassion, promote spirit of brotherhood, safeguard public property, live in harmony with each other, appreciate, preserve, protect and spread culture and heritage  of the country, develop the sense of community and leadership. 

Unlike in the monarchy where citizenship is a mere existence of oneself in country and where everything is decided and given from the throne, citizenship in democracy means election. Election means ability to press the right button, to institute the foundation of true democracy or ruin the nation if cast the wrong ballot. Through this ballot, we elect government that is corrupt, selfish, politically motivated or we elect the government that believes in free and fare election, government that is not driven by their own principle but believes in need of each individual irrespective of cast or creed, rich or poor, women or men, children or adult, does not tolerate corruption while carrying out their functions.

  

In the end, what a citizenship really means in Bhutan’s New Domocracy is that every thumb makes a difference in nation’s journey for generations to come. Citizenship means not only the choice to think and rethink but also the authority and prerogative, privilege and opportunity whether to exercise our franchise to take our nation’s journey towards the areas of opportunities and peace, the ultimate goal to achieve the Gross National Happiness  or otherwise. The result of each ballot will depict the ability of the citizenship of that individual, predicts the nation’s future and unfurls the socio-economic change that will be seen in Bhutan in times to come. Therefore, let’s cast our ballot not to elect the leader instead let’s cast our ballot to build our nation today and tomorrow and generations to come because that is what a citizenship means in New Democracy in Bhutan.

Note to the Readers: This Article was submitted  to Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy  on September 10, 2011 as part of International Day of Democracy on September 15, 2011 and was rated in the wining category. The copy right of the Article is subject to criteria set by this Centre.