Nepalese leaders extend support for Bhutanese movement

Kathmandu, April 16, 2009: Releasing From Palace to Prision, a book written by human rights activist Tek Nath Rizal, the former prime minister of Nepal and president of Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala stressed the party’s support towards the Bhutanese democratic struggle. “I have deeper sentiments with the Bhutanese issue”, said Koirala on Thursday in … Read more

Royal Democracy in Bhutan: Steps Ahead Against the Current

A year of democratic practices in Bhutan has brought numerous reforms and left almost no stones unturned to demystify the suspicion of throne-gifted democracy. To begin with, the election of 20 members for the upper house, later, five deputed by the monarch, formally lifted the ban on the word ‘democracy”. Then, the royal cabinet divided … Read more

State of ‘Democracy’ in Bhutan

The fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuk decided to give “limited democracy” to Bhutanese people in the late 1990s when he realized that under the leadership of Rongthong Kunley Dorji the Sarchop community from the east had joined the democratic struggle which was until then confined in southern Bhutan, only among the Lhotsampa population. The first … Read more

One year of democracy

This is part of the series of reports that APFA brings out every years in its mission for democratization of the Bhutanese society. Polity has changed but many things remain to be addressed for strengthening the democracy and democratic culture. Government has the greater responsibility for sustaining of democracy while civil society organizations have responsibility … Read more