Why am I a Member of a Political Party?

Courtesy: http://www.studiesweekly.com

And this is something I really wanted to express my views. I think it is good to show support to a particular party because we think in the same wavelength as that party on most issues. But do we need to become its member to do that?

What does affiliating people with different parties do? I think it divides people on the party-line and partitions a small society. This was clearly demonstrated in 2008 elections with just two parties. Today we have five of them. It is difficult to understand why people become members of a political party - are some of them coerced? Peer pressure? And as you know Bhutanese are by nature amicable people and will never say NO even though they do not agree on something.

Are there special benefits that a party member enjoys over those who aren't? We have been told that many people who joined as members of the two parties weren't so happy when the election was over. This goes to show that these people expected some differential treatments from their own parties. Who would not? But then is it possible to do that? When you become a member of a group, you expect to reap some benefits over those non-members. Isn't it?

Now why would we become a member in the first place? We support a party so much. But can't we support it also by voting for that party? I think we can. So, why do we have membership? Do we expect something in return? If not then why would you we for membership?

Our Sacred Constitution bestows all citizens of this country with this sacred right to vote for the leaders of our own choice. Some people qualify it as the norb - that comes from the Throne to us all. And with that norb in our hands it is our responsibility to choose responsible leaders.

What does being a member of a party entail? Personally, I think, we are indirectly selling our own right to vote freely. And interestingly we are paying to vote for a particular party when the right to vote has already been bestowed upon us. That's a big paradox!

The parties should make it very clear their ideologies and leave the rest to the voters to decide. We would like to listen to all their manifestoes and see what each of the party has in store for us and based on that we will exercise our right.

And at the end of the day it is not about who is member of which party, etc. but how much each one of us can possibly contribute towards strengthening our social harmony, promoting our goal of happiness, peace and security of this Dragon Kingdom.

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Ngawang Phuntsho

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