No time like now for motion

Posted On July 16, 2010
NC urges govt. for its enactment as a priority legislation
Right To Information Act 15 July, 2010 – While the government remains apprehensive about introducing the country’s draft right to information act, which it claims is incomplete, national council members feel it is time the parliament discuss it.
National council deputy chairman, Sonam Kinga, who proposed a motion on the act during this session of the national council, said the government had begun work towards adopting such an act.
“The national council learnt that the high court had already prepared a draft,” he said. “This draft has been submitted to the cabinet by the information and communication ministry.”
In absence of such a statute, he said, Bhutan’s position on the international transparency index had dropped.
From only 13 countries, which had the right to information act in 1990, the number of countries that adopted it increased to 70, with about 30 others seriously considering its introduction.
The council, he said, proposed the motion, recognising that transparency, accountability and good governance were the essence of democracy, and making Bhutanese society transparent depended, amongst others, on the right to information.
Besides, he said, the country’s Constitution, under article 7.3 guarantees a Bhutanese citizen the right to information.
“A general misperception is that the right to information is enjoyed by the media,” he said. “In fact, the right is that of every citizen, and the media is one means, through which people can access information.”
As a means to reinforce the government’s commitment to promoting transparency, national council members said they may call upon the government to consider the act as priority legislation, and to submit the bill in the parliament for deliberation and endorsement.
Members of the house of review unanimously agreed on the importance of such an act, and passed the motion as a national council resolution.
The fact that the Constitution confers its citizens the right to information and that it would keep public authorities transparent and accountable, the house resolved that the government should recognise the enactment of the act as a priority legislation.
By Samten Wangchuk

NC urges govt. for its enactment as a priority legislationRight To Information Act 15 July, 2010 – While the government remains apprehensive about introducing the country’s draft right to information act, which it claims is incomplete, national council members feel it is time the parliament discuss it.
National council deputy chairman, Sonam Kinga, who proposed a motion on the act during this session of the national council, said the government had begun work towards adopting such an act.
“The national council learnt that the high court had already prepared a draft,” he said. “This draft has been submitted to the cabinet by the information and communication ministry.”
In absence of such a statute, he said, Bhutan’s position on the international transparency index had dropped.
From only 13 countries, which had the right to information act in 1990, the number of countries that adopted it increased to 70, with about 30 others seriously considering its introduction.
The council, he said, proposed the motion, recognising that transparency, accountability and good governance were the essence of democracy, and making Bhutanese society transparent depended, amongst others, on the right to information.
Besides, he said, the country’s Constitution, under article 7.3 guarantees a Bhutanese citizen the right to information.
“A general misperception is that the right to information is enjoyed by the media,” he said. “In fact, the right is that of every citizen, and the media is one means, through which people can access information.”
As a means to reinforce the government’s commitment to promoting transparency, national council members said they may call upon the government to consider the act as priority legislation, and to submit the bill in the parliament for deliberation and endorsement.
Members of the house of review unanimously agreed on the importance of such an act, and passed the motion as a national council resolution.
The fact that the Constitution confers its citizens the right to information and that it would keep public authorities transparent and accountable, the house resolved that the government should recognise the enactment of the act as a priority legislation.
By Samten Wangchuk in Kuensel

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