Seeking loan to pay loan:DPT
On Wednesday, the DPT leaders rushed to National Pension and Provident Fund seeking loans to pay their party as decided which they hope will erase party debt. The ruling party leaders intend to collect at least Nu 5.5 million through contribution of the party leaders. Each MP contributed Nu 100,000 while ministers came up with Nu 200,000 each.
Kuensel quoted a MP saying drawing Nu 85,000 a month as salary is not sufficient to meet daily expenses. This astonished me. It has been more than three years they are getting this amount as their monthly salary and failed to save even 100,000 to contribute to the party. Aside that, the MPs also get allowance for mobile, telephone, internet, newspapers, house rent (30 percent of their salary) etc etc. For their constituency development, separate amount of Nu 20 million has been allocated.
Ministers get Nu 100,000 plus as monthly salary besides allowance for food, phone, mobile, internet, newspaper, personal assistance, driver, petrol and travel. With these earnings, they failed save Nu 200,000 to contribute to the party in three and half years’ time.
Now they are looking for some loans to pay their party. Few MPs could not receive loan because they already have one. Others borrowed in the name of friends. That literary speaks how lavish have become our leaders. That’s really a scene of happiness Bhutanese leaders are enjoying. And with this circumstance, it is obvious for them to advocate how happy have been Bhutanese.
Leaders say, they are seeking loan to pay loan in the best interest of democracy. I doubt their commitment to real democracy. Had they been so committed, why they were unable to save cents out of their salaries and benefits?
Collection of contributions from leaders is indirectly a challenge for upper house National Council and the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who opposed state funding for the political parties. If the party succeeds, opposition will be pushed to trash.
During the recent parliament session, the two houses agreed to set up study committee to see if the parties need state funding. If contribution turns out to be solution, it is likely that opposition will agree on state funding for political parties since it has only two options before the next election – either to announce the closure of party or approve state funding. Current strategy for the opposition party is to sink itself and the ruling party into trash for failing to pay back the loans or legalise that even without paying loans parties can run multiple elections.
Yet the queue to NPPF looks pity. So many leaders really committed to strengthening democracy failed to contribute cents from their pocket buying few less doma and avoiding wines for few more days. Anyway, good luck with the DPT efforts to strengthen democracy and pull out itself from the debt of over Nu 20 million.