Postal ballot not confidential

Time has come for the election of 3 major town’s Mayor then other Thompons followed by first election of the third parliament later in the year 2018.  Compared to the previous elections, it is now rather well versed of the voters irrespective of educated or uneducated, urban dwellers or rural people know the fundamental rights bestowed upon them and their duties to elect right candidate.  During election of the first parliamentary, most of the rural people were clueless for what they were voting for. Though government had done ample of advocacy and awareness programs, election of such kind being happened to them first time rendered them vote unsatisfactorily. This were all happened out of sheer ignorance but did not inflict any serious consequences. We must now convert all these lapses into lessons so as to have elected right candidate for the right post.

Besides election in Bhutan being at the fledging state aggravated by people’s lack of election knowledge, there were also lapses from official on deputation by election commission. The rational for making this issue widely known is basically to avoid such mistakes in future and is not elaborating on the mistakes committed. The ironical thing happened against principal of free and fare election was that official on election duty without giving second thought they peel off the beans right after the declaration of result. They revealed everything of postal ballot from number of votes to the identity of voters to whom they voted in presence of candidates competing for the particular post. The voter identity referred here is of voters opted postal ballot mode. Thus you can well imagine what would be the remarks from loser candidates to whom he/she trusted but given vote to other candidate. The loser candidate might expect gaining vote from his or her relatives and relatives of the relatives and close friends without thinking about his/her capability and franchise of every voter. On the other hand, for the betterment of the general public one might ignored his/her relatives and close friends to elect right candidate. Those are people obliging with the election rule and not abusing the franchise bestowed upon them.

To make you more clear about bringing this issue here and the significance of sharing it would best done through narrating the past incidence on issue of not keeping voter’s identity confidential from postal ballot.  

Tshering (name changed) and myself were on local government election duty in one of the geog under Punakha Dzongkhag. We were accompanied by other officials and the responsibilities entrusted upon us were proved without any sign of failing. The results from our polling station declared and submitted on right time. No sooner the result were declared, then the voters hurriedly vacated the polling station.  Among the haste and buzzing gamut of our leaving the polling station, I heard Tshering’s phone ringing and seen him responding. The talk between them lasted for not more than half an hour and resulted in Tshering wearing guilty and uneasy look. I could not help myself remain salient but asked him the detail revolving round the postal ballot “Demtho Tshogen”.  

He was not interested in answering my question rather asking me how he can convince his first cousin that he had voted in favor of cousin which in fact was not. There was indication of his passion growing thinner and tried to call concern people to ask about the confidential of postal ballot. Will reckless official on election duty accept the blame for sharing all the confidential things? It is still not known how loser candidate came to know about the voter’s identity in favor of them but it is sure that keeping confidential at retaining officer (RO) level was not existed. Party at large not going along as a result of political polarization is far better than building unexpected barrier between close relatives. Tshering later quoted his cousin’s dialogue to me ” LO JAPHU TEY JAPHU TOHM LU” among other heart wrenching dialogues. Yes for his cousin it would be tantamount to having stab at the behind. I think this turn of events will have far reaching adverse implication on the well being of social affair within a small community. I do not mean all Dzongkhag had same election profile and story to share.

Therefore to eradicate such practice and to have free and fare election, author strongly believes that keeping confidential of voter’s identity from any candidate and supporter is crucial. Sharing of such confidential information is totally detrimental in our small community. It is risky too.