Rules on political party formation (REPRODUCTION)
December 23, 2006: Any registered voter, except apolitical bodies like civil servants, servicemen, and members of royal family, truelku, lam or a religious personality is eligible to join or form political parties, according to election commission officials.
"A notification for registration would be issued in the near future so that any interested parties can start registering with the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB)," said chief election commissioner, Dasho Kunzang Wangdi.
The ECB has prepared the draft rule on political party formation, which will guide the formation of political parties in the country.
This comes at a time when active informal politicking is already happening.
The rule, which observers say should be approved at the earliest, covers the structure and roles of a political party, its charter, obligations, code of conduct, and their dissolution.
Dasho Kunzang Wangdi said that while there is no academic qualification needed to become a member of a party, a member who is considered for positions in the parliament should fulfill the qualifications criteria enshrined in the Election Act.
The present National Assembly members can also join or form political parties, but they would have to fulfill the criteria laid down in the Election Act.
According to the draft rule, a party should register itself with the commission within one month of its formation signed by the leader of the party.
The party should have a name, election symbol, name of the dzongkhag in which its head office would be, and name of its president, secretary, and treasurer.
According to election commission officials, a civil servant must resign from service to join a political party.
Asked if corporate employees could take part in politics, the chief election commissioner said that a corporate employee could participate as long as their corporate policy allowed and no other laws are violated. "However, if they become a candidate or are elected to elected posts they will not be entitled to hold and office of profit," he said.
Although the date of registering parties has not been announced, a registered political party should have a written charter declaring that it would be broad-based, demonstrated by its cross national membership from all the dzongkhags.
"The party should commit to the national cohesion and should not restrict its membership based on region, gender, language, religion or status," the draft rule states.
A political party should have an executive committee with elected members which would be the highest decision making body in the party.
Political parties are also mandated to appoint a party secretary responsible for the management and administrative of the party, a treasurer to record annual accounts and election returns to the ECB, and an internal auditor to check the legalities of all election receipts and expenses.
The ECB will disqualify and refuse to register a party if a party does not conform to the provision of the Election Act, name or symbol of a party identifies with a community, religion, or region.
"A party with a military or para-military structure and business concerned parties would be not registered," the draft rule states.
A political party would be dissolved by the Supreme Court if the objectives and activities of the party contravene the provisions of the constitution, according to the draft rule.
The Supreme Court could also dissolve a party that receives money or assistance from foreign sources or if it has solicited or resorted to collection of funds from private individuals or agencies other than from its registered members.
The ECB would also remove a party’s name from the Register of Political Parties if a party has obtained registration through fraud or forgery, has contravened the election code of conduct prescribed in the Election Act.
If a party fails to secure at least 10 percent of the total valid votes cast at two successive primary rounds of election to the National Assembly, it will be removed from the register according to the draft act.
Dasho Kunzang Wangdi said that ECB would monitor the political parties and their conduct while media and parties themselves would monitor each other’s conduct.
The draft rule, which contains a code of conduct for political parties, states that a party, its members, representatives or workers shall not obstruct or break up meetings of other parties or members.
Parties will not allowed to fix posters or banners of any size as part of election campaign other than those specified by the commission.
The ECB would call fresh elections if only two or less parties submit their intention to contest the primary round of elections.
Kuenselonline, December 23.