Thursday, November 25, 2010

Babesa banks on a Baap

Thrompon Election 25 November, 2010 - The meeting was brief, but important. The village, they say has suffered enough. They have lost land, dismantled ancestral houses and haven’t cultivated in many years. The promised development never came. Thrompon Election 25 November, 2010 - The meeting was brief, but important. The village, they say has suffered enough. They have lost land, dismantled ancestral houses and haven’t cultivated in many years. The promised development never came. So when the idea of nominating a candidate to contest the thrompon election was thrown up, villagers readily agreed. “We need a person, who’s experienced, who understands our problem and who’ll be just,” says an elderly woman, who quickly added she was speaking for the community.

Kinlay Dorjee
 This was on Sunday at Babesa, where many elder members of the village had gathered to nominate the general manager, distribution and customer services of Bhutan Power corporation, Kinlay Dorjee, as their candidate to contest the thrompon election, the date for which the election commission of Bhutan has yet to announce.

Kinlay Dorjee, 40, a Baap (person of Babesa), is an engineer, who topped many board examinations and. according to villagers, would be their best candidate. For them, the thought of having a thrompon would solve the many problems, they say, they have endured.

The meeting was not only in one village. Three villages had similar meetings and unanimously agreed to nominate Kinlay Dorjee. Two weeks ago, former local government officials and a royal councillor had met and decided for the same candidate.

Last night, Kinlay Dorjee told Kuensel that he was humbled by the trust his folks had in him, and accepted the “request”. Kinlay Dorjee had informed his office of his resignation, and confirmed to stand the thrompon election.

The electrical engineer, who is also a member of the Thimphu city committee, said that he couldn’t deny the request some members of the public made since last year. “I’d been contemplating since and accepted,” said the father of three. Kinlay Dorjee believes that it is not late to plan the capital city. He identifies issues like drinking water, solid waste management and lack of recreational parks as the city’s main problems. On planning the city, the engineer said that, although the core city is haphazardly planned, the extended areas, the various local area plans could be implemented properly. “It’s a lesson. With proper planning, we can solve practical difficulties,” he said.


The master’s degree holder in electrical engineer from New Brunswick university, Canada, believes his work experience with BPC is relevant to the “new challenge” he is going to take up. Working as the head of customer service, I know how important is service delivery and management, he said. “I’ve implemented projects, while working as executive engineer in eastern Bhutan, and that has equipped me to face any challenges.”

The thrompon-hopeful feels that, with innovative ideas and practical solutions, a lot of Thimphu city’s problems could be solved. “If we have an efficient public transport system, why should our roads be congested?”


So when the idea of nominating a candidate to contest the thrompon election was thrown up, villagers readily agreed. “We need a person, who’s experienced, who understands our problem and who’ll be just,” says an elderly woman, who quickly added she was speaking for the community.

This was on Sunday at Babesa, where many elder members of the village had gathered to nominate the general manager, distribution and customer services of Bhutan Power corporation, Kinlay Dorjee, as their candidate to contest the thrompon election, the date for which the election commission of Bhutan has yet to announce.

Kinlay Dorjee, 40, a Baap (person of Babesa), is an engineer, who topped many board examinations and. according to villagers, would be their best candidate. For them, the thought of having a thrompon would solve the many problems, they say, they have endured.

The meeting was not only in one village. Three villages had similar meetings and unanimously agreed to nominate Kinlay Dorjee. Two weeks ago, former local government officials and a royal councillor had met and decided for the same candidate.


Last night, Kinlay Dorjee told Kuensel that he was humbled by the trust his folks had in him, and accepted the “request”. Kinlay Dorjee had informed his office of his resignation, and confirmed to stand the thrompon election.

The electrical engineer, who is also a member of the Thimphu city committee, said that he couldn’t deny the request some members of the public made since last year. “I’d been contemplating since and accepted,” said the father of three. Kinlay Dorjee believes that it is not late to plan the capital city. He identifies issues like drinking water, solid waste management and lack of recreational parks as the city’s main problems. On planning the city, the engineer said that, although the core city is haphazardly planned, the extended areas, the various local area plans could be implemented properly. “It’s a lesson. With proper planning, we can solve practical difficulties,” he said.

The master’s degree holder in electrical engineer from New Brunswick university, Canada, believes his work experience with BPC is relevant to the “new challenge” he is going to take up. Working as the head of customer service, I know how important is service delivery and management, he said. “I’ve implemented projects, while working as executive engineer in eastern Bhutan, and that has equipped me to face any challenges.”

The thrompon-hopeful feels that, with innovative ideas and practical solutions, a lot of Thimphu city’s problems could be solved. “If we have an efficient public transport system, why should our roads be congested?”
Source www.kuenselonline.com