ECB, the Boss

This article was posted on my Facebook on 24 March 2018

ECB the Boss, BBS Reporter Chimi Dorji during the first NC public forum in Lhuentse, informs the nation that, the questions for public forum were prepared by BBS & ECB together. One of the NC candidates, Tharchen replied to one of the voters Kuenga Tashi when asked about similarities in all manifestos of NC candidates responded that ECB dictated how the manifestos should be. A potential voter Phub Tshering posted that Civil servants and LG members are barred from
attending public forum. Kuensel on 21 March 2018 reported that "Screening of any audiovisual products or documentary clips and display of written or pictorial materials, which depict the past achievements of a candidate are also prohibited. I hope these information are untrue and wrong and ECB would come up with clarification on this. If these information are true, I personally feel, ECB is over regulating the conduct of elections in the name of the free and fair election in the country. The rights of media are regulated and controlled. Voter's right to know about their candidate's past history of strengths and weaknesses cannot be revealed. People's (voter) right to question and scrutinize our candidates are deprived. Right to vote is to watch a ECB Staged Public Forum and vote on basis of what ECB wants. I say Staged Public Forum, because those voters who are there to attend the public forum has no right to question their own candidates and civil servants and LG members are barred from even attending the staged drama. On what basis, the Civil Servants and LG Members are barred?

Contrary to what is happening, the Section 35(d) Election Act of Kingdom of Bhutan 2008, imposes duty on ECB to “facilitate coverage” of elections by the media. Where is facilitation? What kind of informed decision am I supposed to take to vote when I have no idea of any of the six candidates of my Dzongkhag except I know that they all have minimum of Bachelors Degree in education and served somewhere. But how did they serve in that post, did something special, was he or she a mediocre official or bad officer? I have no way of knowing that and now even if the Manifestos are tuned according to instructions of the ECB, how do I know what he is promising is even true or not? I hope that whatever, I have read or known are untrue. In fact, ECB instead of controlling the main stream media and individuals with true identity from expressing our opinion, must hard more to control dangerous anonymous social network platforms. Eg. BHUTANESE News & FORUMS Contains thousands of information on elections often with damaging, divisive, personal attacks which can have far reaching negative impact, harm to the society and even threaten the unity of the nation in some of the post. Yet, ECB remained silent on such forum without doing anything and these kind of forum continues to spread such unverified information and more such groups are coming up. More the ECB try to control mainstream media and true identities are controlled, people will be forced to rely on such information from such social groups.