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| India-Pakistan | |
| Bhutan to end monarchy, become democracy on Monday vote | |
| 2008-03-23 | |
| THIMPU - The insular kingdom of Bhutan stands poised to become the world’s newest democracy on Monday with historic polls ordered by its revered royal family to end their reign. The tiny Buddhist state wedged between the Himalayas of India and China will elect members for a lower house, ending the century-old absolute rule by the hugely popular Wangchuk dynasty. The country’s young Oxford-educated King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk made a forceful last-minute appeal on Saturday to his subjects-some of whom were initially reluctant to bring in democracy-to cast their vote. ‘As you approach the duty of voting at the elections that will bring democracy, do so with pride and confidence of a people that have achieved so much,’ the king said in a statement published in the nation’s newspapers. ‘First and foremost, you must vote. Every single person must exercise his or her franchise,’ said the king-the fifth ruler in the Wangchuck dynasty, which came to power in 1907.
‘The former king said, ‘today you have a good king, but what if you have a bad king tomorrow’,’ said Kinley Dorji, managing director of the national Kuensel newspaper. ‘The argument was irrefutable.’ Despite the royal family’s efforts at persuasion, concerns persist about the sweeping changes ahead for country, which closely guards its traditions and identity. It allowed television only in 1999, permits few foreigners and bans cigarette sales. People are expected to wear traditional clothes for office and public functions and the country has strict rules to protect its environment, architecture and heritage. The two political parties-People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) or Bhutan United Party-have similar manifestos promising growth and better infrastructure. Both are led by two-time former prime ministers and are in a tight race for 47 seats. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #3 Operation All Clear was preceded by raids on camps to test the defences and ultimatums to quit. When the main operation was launched on December 14, it achieved both tactical and strategic surprise. It was in three phases: Attacking the main camps; eliminating subsidiary camps and mopping up scattered and fleeing insurgents which is the current phase of the operations. Led by the King and Prince Jigyel, All Clear has been a resounding success. Of the 2,000 or so insurgents, m ore than 100 have been killed or wounded and about 200 captured or have surrendered so far. |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-03-23 10:49 |
| #2 From 2003 Bhutan's prince has also joined anti-insurgency operations Prince Jigyel Wangchuck, second son of Bhutan's monarch, has joined the army's military operation to evict anti-India militants from the country. The junior Wangchuck was away studying in Oxford when he learnt about the trouble back home as the militants had refused to shut down the bases set up for conducting subversive activities against India.Once it was decided that military action was inevitable, the prince wasted no time in returning to his motherland to clear the kingdom of the intruders. |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-03-23 10:49 |
| #1 Interesting that the 'king' believes in the people far more than our own nanny state Donks. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-03-23 10:19 |