The politics of moral ground
Last week Dr Gado Tshering resigned as government secretary on moral grounds after investigation by Anti-Corruption Commission revealed massive corruption in the last few years. The most corruptions had taken place in 2006-08 shortly after Tshering took over the responsibility as the health secretary.
To this day, corruption at the health ministry continued and ACC reports point it as the most corrupted ministry in the country. The audit reports of the Royal Audit Authority mention the ministry is yet to recover millions from contractors and other parties. The ministry failed to act on drug shortage, doctors’ short supply and supporting citizens to pursue medical studies.
Even during last week’s graduate orientation programme in Thimphu, corruption at the health ministry dominated student queries with Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley. The government came in short supply in satisfactory answers. The ministry is a hot cake among public and online discussion forums, unfortunately for its bad performance.
Under these circumstances health secretary has stepped down while health minister Zangley Dukpa, who holds the executive power, continues to rule. He feels no obligation to step down on moral ground though minister represents public face in the ministry. Secretary works under government direction and failure to act on corruption is the failure of minister instead of the secretary. Curious look into the story has little twist for my readers.
I asked one of the DPT MPs in facebook chat, why Tshering stepped down instead of Dukpa. He said, ‘Its politics’ and refused to explain further. A journalist working in Bhutan Today feels, ‘moral grounds’ of Tshering is an ‘excuse’. The growing general perception is that DPT is moulding the government secretaries to enter into politics from next general election scheduled for early 2013.
DPT is likely to have targeted four figures to be its candidates in next election – Tshering, communication secretary Kinley, ACC chairperson Aum Neten and works and human settlement secretary Dr Sonam Tenzin. Other possibility includes Karma Ura of Centre for Bhutan Studies, who worked closely with current PM Thinley for years. Promise for a ministry might attract Ura into politics. His attitude to resign as NC member for failing to get its chairmanship is good evidence to speculate that he would agree with some better position in government. However, the increasing divide between Ura and Thinley on issues like who should be the advocate of GNH might hinder their reunion. Thinley tactically made good use of Ura, who is regarded as super orator on GNH and one of the topmost intellectual of the country and shifted GNH promoting authority into agency where he holds power. The fifth GNH conference in Thimphu was neither that of CBS nor GNH Commission. Instead it was a personal conference by PM Thinley. This shows a growing divide between Ura and Thinley.
Thus, Gado’s resignation is an attempt by the DPT leadership to bring him clean into politics. Or else, health minister should have resigned on moral grounds owning to DPT’s repeated commitment for zero tolerance to corruption. Failure to put pressure on Dukpa to resign or act tough on ministry’s corruption is soft politics of the ‘top five cons’ who rule DPT and the nation. They know bringing influential people cleaner to the race will certainly help sweep the next general election.
Gado’s resignation and PDP’s renewed efforts for a comeback in next election are not coincidence. Tshering Tobgay has been touring villages and districts since last year preparing grounds for better performance in 2013, though he does not wish his party to be in government. Both the parties are in race to clear their debt incurred during the last election. DPT owes to bank and publication houses while PDP owes to its president.
Gado’s race to politics rests on leniency of ACC. If ACC acted without prejudice against corruption in health ministry, Gado’s dream to be a minister, at leader MP if not, would shatter. It all depends on how DPT will manipulate Aum Neten.