October 26: The Election Commission says the membership forms distributed by the parties prior to the registration of the parties are not valid. The Chief Election Commissioner Dasho Kunzang Wangdi said the existing forms are not valid because by law you have to pay a registration fee and a membership fee. Then only you are a member.

This however excludes 203 members of the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa and the 103 members of the PDP that have been verified by the Election Commission during the registration of the two parties.

The Election Commission also said that it is not legal to issue free forms. The PDP has been issuing free membership forms to the people until the party’s registration in September.

“Prior to the September 1 we had signed up members for free and this was in accordance with our draft charter and in accordance with the electoral bill which does not state that you have to charge a minimum amount," said the PDP Spokesperson Tashi Tshering. He added that the party is complying with the Election Commission’s notification.

“With respect to the membership form our new form has a line which says that a person that is signing the form is doing so on his own freewill and in full knowledge of his or her rights. Now, what we are doing beyond that is we have asked our party workers to explain very carefully to people who are signing our new forms that they are doing it firstly on their freewill and secondly in full knowledge of their rights which means that when they sign the form it doesn’t mean that they have to vote for us. They are signing up as a member. When it comes to the voting they are free to decide whom they would like to vote for,” said Tashi Tshring.

The Druk Phuensum Tshogpa’s Spokesperson Khandu Wangchuk said there is not much difference in the old and the revised form of the party.

“Druk Phuensum Tshogpa firstly does not provide free registration in keeping with the rules and regulations. Secondly we are not launching a membership drive by way of going to every household in the country. We only register those who volunteer to be members,” said Khandu Wangchuk.

Dasho Kuenzang Wangdi says those who have already paid and registered with the political parties can continue to be a member of the party if they wish. They however will have to fill up the revised membership form but will not have to pay for it.

One thing common in the revised form of both the parties is a clause which says “I hereby join the party on my own free will and in full knowledge of my rights."

The Chief Election Commissioner says people should be allowed to become a member on their freewill. “If somebody says he has not been explained and has been made to fill the form by force, they should report to the authorities starting from Dzongkhag officers, police, Anti Corruption Commission, Royal Audit Authority, Election Commission, Election officers and may be they could also take the matter straight to court, said Dasho Kunzang Wangdi.

He said people should do that if they know they have been victimized. He added that they should do it because in a democracy its rule of law.

The Election Commission has fixed the registration fee at Nu. 100 for both the parties.