By IANS
Thimphu : Bhutan is ready to take up the challenge of transforming from a monarchy to parliamentary democracy despite "risks" from the historical shift, says Bhutan's Chief Election Commissioner Dasho Kunzang Wangdi.
"Some amount of risk that can come with democracy is always there. But we have to minimize such risks as much as possible and see to it that democracy offers much more than what the monarchy has been offering," Wangdi said in an interview here in capital Thimphu ahead of Monday's mock elections.
"But we are optimistic about the change that is going to take place and believe democracy would be good for the country," Wangdi told IANS.
Monday's exercise is part of the final dry run to familiarise people in the "Land of the Thunder Dragon" with how parliamentary democracy actually works.
The first or the primary round of mock polls was held April 21 in all the 47 parliamentary constituencies. Voting would begin at 9 a.m. (GMT + 0600 hrs) and end at 5 p.m.. Counting of votes would begin soon after.
Bhutan's former king Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicated the throne in December in favour of his eldest son, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, and announced that the country's first parliamentary elections would take place in 2008.
"If you have a political party ruling the country (after the 2008 election) who only believes in industrialization and earning dollars and increasing the GDP (Gross Domestic Product), you never know what would happen," Wangdi said.
He said Bhutan wanted a party that would serve the nation efficiently without compromising on the traditions and cultural values of the Himalayan kingdom.
"The ruling party would determine the fate of Bhutan for five years after being elected. So the aspirations are that we should have a party that is capable of doing a better job than what we have during the monarchy," Wangdi underlined.
Despite a general perception among most Bhutanese that the present monarchial system was good for the country, the chief election commissioner said the former king had rightly decided to bring in changes.
"(He) probably thought of introducing democracy for the simple reason – why wait for a revolution to start seeking democratic changes?
"The atmosphere is just conducive, and the former king wished to have a democracy in place for better results. But it is true people in general still have tremendous faith in the monarchy and want that status quo be maintained."
Wangdi said the skepticism among the people about the transition was mainly due to the not-so-encouraging democracies in Bhutan's immediate neighbourhood.
"Television has opened the world to Bhutan and what people see in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh today is lot of demonstrations, destruction, conflicts and corruption. If that is democracy we don't need it — is what most people think and so prefers the monarchy to continue," he said.
"The image of the democracies that we see is what is coming in the way of people wholeheartedly accepting the changes that Bhutan is planning."
Wangdi, however, said the mock elections in Bhutan had dispelled certain wrong notions about the transition.
"Today we think about 60 to 70 percent of the people are mentally prepared for the change and accept the vision the former king had in mind to decentralize power and have an efficient and able government rule Bhutan," he said.