“Buy food and feed people”

                                    

Everything goes by calculation. Even GNH is being calculated from its parameters.  I have heard CEC quoting ‘more the expenditure for election better the election is’ in one of the interviews. Should we go by profit- loss table? Or let us just see the balance sheet? It is the nation as investor. Recently referring to the amount of fund for each individual Nu.130000 has to raise us some questions. Is Bhutan so rich?

1)   How many NC contestants a Dzongkhag can have?

2)   How many (maximum) political parties can nation have?

Owing to the small size of population and economy we need to ask, are we investing wisely?  What determines the election as effective or successful? Does more number of contestants mean the election, effective? Or does the budget expenditure dominate the domain of election being successful? I would agree the well expended election as a good election but not necessarily a best election. If we go by the present numbers 67 gives to budget thrust of 8710000 by NC alone and for the campaigning only. Is there any law how much a Dzongkhag can have NC contestants? If a Dzongkhag can have as many numbers as Gewogs in it, there will be 205 NC contestants which apparently make budget pressure of Nu.26650000.

Coming to NA, if country can have as many political parties as it can, that many parties will draw 47 candidates each which in turn will grab minimum of 100,000 for campaign. God blessed us with no state funding being passed. As of now, 5 parties having each 47 will incur Nu 23500000 of expenditure for campaign considering 100,000 per candidate. If it is being increased to 130000 it amounts to Nu 30550000.  Should this data alarm us? We are such a small economy where we can find people living hand to mouth in many remote corners of the country and rupee crunch has made us smell the odor of being poor.  After investing huge amount for the election, are the elected ones going to give the country worth of being elected or say worth of being invested.

Is the number of contestants referring election as worthy a questionable? Practically some lone candidates or less competed candidates have performed exceedingly well-meaning brought growth to the nation, and they have become worth of being invested. The amount may also draw incompetent candidates to take part whether they win or loose. Is the amount not too high? Are we not opening the risk to corruption and possibility of incompetent getting elected? Is the amount optimum? Besides campaign funds ECB has to bore, election cost which will be as high as the campaign funds.  If we rate ratio of election cost to the population, Bhutan is going to mark significant position. What must be the ceiling of election funds? This huge amount is going to feed whole populace a grand meal at least once and it will feed people under poverty a meal for whole year.

 SANGA DORJI

(B.TECH. MECHANICAL)