Shylashri Shankar
The Indian Express
July 13, 2013
If the former king of Bhutan, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, were to contribute to a “How To” series, his book would be titled: “How to retain power for the monarchy in a world where democracy is king”. First, remove, but legally, those among your people who could become nuisances. Bhutan’s 7,00,000 people comprise three main groups — the Ngalongs of western mountains and the “easterner” Sharchhops, who are Buddhist, and the Lhotshampas of the south, who are ethnic Nepali and many of whom practice Hinduism. The previous citizenship acts integrated Lhotshampas into the Bhutanese mainstream, but in the 1980s, they began to be perceived as a threat to the political order. A process of disenfranchisement that mainly affected them, began. In the early 1990s, Lhotshampas rose up in protest, but to no avail. The Bhutanisation of the people was in full swing, and the undesirables were expelled.
Second, start the move to democracy with a clean slate. Hand over the throne to your son. That was how the transition from an absolutist monarchy to a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy in Bhutan began in December 2006. This move coincided and contrasted with the developments in neighbouring Nepal, which stripped its monarch of most powers.
Which takes us to the third step. Give a gift to your people before they demand it as a right. Announce the move to parliamentary democracy. But first, do what good lawyers do: never ask a question to which you don’t already know the answer. Have a test election to test the way the wind blows, if you can. The 2008 elections saw a landslide victory for Druk Phuensum Tshogpa, leading some to point out the absence of an opposition.
The fourth step is simple. Follow the principle that one should give a gift that one would like to receive. Create a constitution with the help of experts, not a popularly elected constituent assembly, and include restrictions that would favour representatives from the elites. Retain your influence over key appointments. At the same time, to show evenhandedness, institute curbs on the monarch’s powers. The king of Bhutan has to step down at the age of 65 and can be removed by a two-third majority.
Fifth, remove the irritants in the election process. With 75 per cent Buddhist, 22 per cent Hindu and 2 per cent Christian citizens, religion is a significant feature of public life. Add to this the cleavage between ethnic Nepalis, who are Hindu, and ethnic Bhutanese, who are Buddhist, and we get a simmering cauldron of grievances. So, the election law prohibits discussion of ethnicity and religion.
Sixth, let the government function. They will make mistakes and you will reap the rewards. The performance of the first democratically elected government is a mixed bag. The 2010 official survey found that while internet connectivity had increased and the primary school enrolment rate had improved to 100 per cent, a quarter of the people live on less than $1.25 a day, and 70 per cent live without electricity.
The test of whether you have followed the steps in spirit and letter will come with the second election. Bhutan’s citizens have voted in the second parliamentary elections from April to June 2013, and the two parties with the largest vote share will face off today. The DPT is expected to win again. If there are no nasty surprises, and if warring factions within your country come to you for advice, and if your country is hailed by the UNDP as having made a successful transition, then you can rest on your laurels. You have delivered a peaceful transition with security to your subject-citizens.
The writer is senior fellow, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi.
