On Demand
Why should YOU win?
27 February, 2008 (20:55)
In Bhutan, apparently, this is not a question the party spokespeople want to answer. Spokespeople for the DPT (the initials short for a phrase in the Bhutanese language) and the PDP (the People’s Democratic Party) sat down with our class for a training session on covering the parties. The parties are downplaying the differences between their party manifestos. The problems are the same, they say, so the manifestos will be similar. (I seem to find a whole lot more differences than they profess to) So different from U.S. elections, where, in the primaries at least, every difference is as wide as a chasm. (Think about the debate between the Clinton and Obama health care plans. The argument over mandates represents a significant philosophical difference, but when compared to the current system, there are many similarities between the two plans. Can you imagine Clinton saying “there really are no major differences in our plans, because we both have examined the same problem?” )
One party is (mildly) claiming the mantle of change (versus experience). This reference is not lost on the Bhutanese journalists, who have been carefully and critically watching the U.S. presidential contest on the internet and the international news stations. But still…how will the Bhutanese people chose? This is the challenge the reporters face: how to help voters make choices when the parties themselves seem reluctant to do so
Comments
Comment from ganesh pradhan
Date: March 1, 2008, 5:46 am
Andrea, i hope you also had the opportunity to teach the bhutanese media on how they would cover the 40 to 50 thousand people living IN bhutan but not eligible to vote. They are normally categorized in Form 5. Imagine your father is from Mexico settle din US and married your american mom 45 years ago and that you are now 41. You are born and brought up in the US all through and you are NOT eligible to vote or not considered a citizen. This is the plight of a very large number of Bhutanese population now, mainly in south.
I only pray and hope that the EU observation mission will take note of this.
You may also have known that the third party, BPUP whose menifesto mainly addressed this citizenship concern was NOT registered.
You all should be fair in your reporting of the Bhutanese election.
Comment from Sonam Ongmo
Date: March 1, 2008, 10:04 am
Hi Andrea
I am from Bhutan, living in New York. I was once a reporter with Kuensel but now I am a stay-at-home mother of two. The distance from Bhutan and the number of years since I stopped working there (I quit in 1996) have not stopped me from taking an interest in what is happening in my country. I return home almost every other year.
I was fascinated to go through your blog and want to say that this is REALLY great for our reporters. This is really crucial and important for so many who unfortunately have not had the opportunity to go to journalism school (like myself when I started out) but learn the trade on the job.
Like you I have been following both elections - the US and Bhutan’s closely. Unfortunately I cannot vote this time (not here in the US, because I am not American, or in Bhutan, because they don’t have postal ballots for people other than those working at the Mission and students)
We have a great deal to learn from the US elections and its great that atleast we have TV now so they can draw comparisons. Hope you are enjoying your stay.
Sonam
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