February 27: The People’s Democratic Party said they have filed charges against Druk Phuensum Tshogpa accusing the party president Jigmi Y. Thinley and party workers of making defamatory statements during the campaign meetings in Trongsa and Zhemgang.

Pem Gyeltshen the media and public relations officer of the People’s Democratic Party said they filed the charges against DPT with the election commission on February 25.

According to the charges, the DPT president Jigmi Y. Thinley has said giving food to the people is bribery and is a sign that they will go hungry later. It says the DPT president also said giving blankets to the people now is a sign that they will go naked later. He is also accused of saying that if the people give their votes to the other party, a time will come for the people to leave our country. It says, at Nimshong in Zhemgang, the DPT president has said that if the people listen to bad party and bad people, they will become their servants and that they will even have to leave their ancestral land.

In a news release, the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa said it is not aware of any defamatory statements made by the party president. It says the DPT president Jigmi Y. Thinley, while educating voters, has always referred to bad practices in democracies to ensure that we do not adopt them in introducing democracy in the country.

It says the allegations were made by PDP coordinators who have been stalking the DPT president on his tours in Zhemgang. The stalking of the DPT president by PDP coordinators has been reported to the Election Commission and the police.

Meanwhile, reports of allegations and counter allegations have also been received from Lheuntse. On February 23, a DPT party worker in Autsho was accused of performing a ritual in her house.

Our reporter Chimi Rinzin says it was stopped after the PDP’s Dzongkhag coordinator filed a verbal complaint to the Returning Officer.

A few weeks earlier the DPT candidate for Gangzur-Minjay constituency in Lhuentse, Karma Rangdol was accused of performing a ritual at the RNR centre. The Returning Officer of Menbi-Tsenkhar constituency Chador Wangdi said party candidates and workers are not permitted to perform rituals during the campaign period. However he said in case a family member falls sick, rituals may be performed after obtaining permission in writing from the Returning Officer.

The PDP’s Dzongkhag coordinator Karma Sonam said while they have lodged complaints with the election officials, not much has been done. The Chief Election Coordinator, Dzongda Tshering Kezang said because the complaints were lodged verbally and given the limited manpower, it is difficult to take action.

The DPT Dzongkhag coordinator Dorji Tshering said he is not aware of the allegations.