State Funding For Parties
Till democracy takes root in popular culture, says Lyonchhoen, parties will need state support
 |
| Open To Inquiry: The prime minister and cabinet ministers field questions from the media |
State Funding For Parties 25 March, 2010 – Only state funding can rescue Bhutan’s bankrupt political parties, prime minister Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley yesterday insisted, when he met the Bhutanese media during a two-hour meeting with the cabinet.
Responding to a query on the financial situation of the parties, he said the two political parties are faced with a threat of dying out at a very early stage. The desperate cry comes in the face of the election commission asking the two parties to clear their dues by 2012, and the chief election commissioner, Dasho Kunzang Wangdi saying, “The parties are yet to put in any meaningful and serious effort to improve their financial situations, perhaps resting their hope on state funding of political parties.” The CEC was addressing the annual conference of the election commission yesterday.
DPT owes Nu 25 mn to various banks in unpaid dues and PDP owes Nu 20 mn.
Lyonchhoen said that DPT is sending out its party members to solicit membership, not in an aggressive manner but in a persuasive way to broaden the base. “The ECB has, in a way, prevented us from raising revenue from one of our few sources that are actually permissible by saying that we can’t campaign, we can’t solicit or engage in membership drive but wait for people to come to our offices,” he said.
ECB has, however, has raised the ceiling for individual contribution from Nu 100,000 to Nu 500,000.
But Lyonchhoen said that there are very few people, who can afford to contribute Nu 500,000 without motives. “We know the motive behind large contributions made by individuals, businesses and industries around the world, but should we encourage such motives to prevail in Bhutan?” he said.
The prime minister said that the primary objective of the government was to establish a firm democratic foundation and establish a democratic culture, where every individual would exercise his or her vote in a responsible manner. “We want to establish a democratic culture, where the poor won’t feel that their vote is lesser than the vote of a man who’s able to supplement it with money,” he said. “There’s nothing more we can do and we’ll not do anything that will hurt the principles and values of democracy.”
ECB is hopeful that the parties will begin initiating useful measures, including cost cutting measures, downsizing their structures and set up.
The CEC, at the conference, said that, since the Constitution is clear on state funding except for election campaign, the office had advised the parties to earnestly mobilise funds by motivating members and collect fees and voluntary contributions from registered members, especially those in positions of power.
But, according to Lyonchhoen, until the parties have a broader base of people, who understand the values and principles of democracy, parties can only survive through state funding. “I think the state has no option until 2020, when Bhutan would become self-reliant and self sufficient,” he said.
On the constitutionality, the Lyonchhoen said that, while there is no specific provision in the constitution to allow state funding and political parties, there is no provision prohibiting state funding either. “The Constitution is a sacred document that enshrines the hopes and aspirations, and values and principles of the country,” he said. “There should be a liberal interpretation of the Constitution without undermining the values and aspirations enshrined in the sacred document,” he said. “If every action the government takes has to follow specific provisions of the Constitution, government will not be able to achieve anything.”
The prime minister asked if it would be right for the government to function without their party, referring to consequences the financial situation would have on democracy if parties lose presence or die out.
“The government represents the people through the party, which ought to have its members sitting, working, living and believing, with the people, the values of democracy,” he said. “If there’s no party, there won’t be representation, and how can we have democracy without representation.”
Source: kuenselonline