Don’t take the media for granted
The 14th monthly meeting of the cabinet with the press last week was full of sound and fury. An emotionally charged prime minister led cabinet made their case to the press and it did signify many things.
Commenting on the controversial Bhutan lottery issue, the prime minister, in a fit of anger (which he usually justifies as being passionate), accused this paper for working for certain groups in India in our persistent coverage of the issue. He also said that this paper has been insensitive to national interest issues by doing so. The finance minister further blamed this paper for preempting things and blaming Bhutan lottery officials. He also threw the national interest card on this paper.
As a responsible paper, we fully understand the importance of respecting our national interests. We believe that we would not be respecting our national interest if we keep silent on the biggest corruption case that Bhutan has experienced in its history. The issue becomes more pressing with the government adopting a “let’s-wait-and-see” approach on the lottery issue despite this paper having exposed all the necessary evidences and the Royal Audit Authority having confirmed it through an audit.