March 8: The People’s Democratic Party is filing charges against Druk Phuensum Tshogpa’s South Thim Throm candidate Yeshey Zimba of making false and defamatory statements during a news conference earlier this week.

A PDP news release says Yeshey Zimba falsely accused the PDP’s South Thim Throm candidate Sonam Tobgay Dorji of manipulating the people to tamper with the evidence by changing the name in the thram of the Chimithangka Lhakhang from Sonam Tobgay Dorji to Ugen Tshechup Dorji as the donor.

It says the allegation regarding the Chimithangka Lhakhang has been thoroughly investigated by the Election Commission adding that it has been conclusively established that the donation was not made by Sonam Tobgay Dorji. It says the investigations have revealed that entries in the Chimithangka Lhakhang thram that prove Sonam Tobgay Dorji did not donate the money were signed by DPT party workers.

Speaking at news conference yesteday afternoon, the PDP’s Dzongkhag coordinator in Thimphu Tobgay said they will be filing the charges with the Election Commission any day. The PDP’s Thimphu Dzongkhag coordinator Tobgay said PDP has refrained from saying anything against DPT. He said the PDP feels that issues like Yeshey Zimba’s wife donating a butter lamp made of gold to Lungchu Zhekha Lhakhang, DPT party worker Kuenzang Gyeltshen constructing farm road to Khariphu and Kharibjee villages and the five ex-ministers performing Chelu or religious ceremony are also corruption.

The DPT’s South Thim Throm Yeshey Zimba said he has nothing to say to PDP regarding the decision of PDP to charge him for defamation and misleading the people. He said during the press conference he said nothing more than what DPT has submitted to the election commission in their application.

Regarding the accusation that his wife donated a butter lamp made of gold, Yeshey Zimba said the butter lamp was made with money from the Hongtsho Goenpa Lam. He said his wife only donated an old comma. He said when the road in Khariphu and Kharibjee villages in Thimphu was constructed Kunzang Gyltshen was not a DPT party worker. On the accusation that they performed a religious ceremony, he said they were there only as guests.