All the six non-ministerial MPs are potential candidates, PM says
Around names of six MPs (Member of Parliament) have been submitted to the Prime Minister by the party members of the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) for the vacant post of the Home Minister.
This was divulged by Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering during the Meet-The-Press session on 27 August 2021.
Lyonchhen said that the party had submitted names of nine MPs and out of the nine MPs, three MPs had withdrawn and that there are six now.
“But the party is yet to decide from the six,” Lyonchhen said, adding that he didn’t send back the names of the six MPs for further discussion.
“Though the time has reached to appoint the Home Minister, we had planned to meet after the summer session. But some of the MPs are out for constituency visits, so we couldn’t meet for the discussion,” Lyonchhen added.
Meanwhile, there are some speculations on social media that the party is having internal pressure from the MPs and supporters when it comes to nominating the candidate for the Home Minister’s post.
To this, Lyonchhen clarified that it is not that the party is having conflict within members and it is not able to appoint the Home Minister.
“The party has given the responsibility to me to choose the Home Minister out of the six nominees that the members have suggested,” the PM said.
Lyonchhen said that the appointment of the Home Minister is not late, adding that no big projects or works are at halt because of not having a Home Minister presently.
Meanwhile, the nominees for the Home Minister’s post are yet to be confirmed and announced officially.
However, two names that are rumored on social media to be nominated as the next Home Minister are MP Dawa from Chhoekhor-Tang constituency in Bumthang and Karma Dorji from Nganglam constituency in Pemagatshel.
But the Prime Minister said no such decision has been taken as of now.
“Six of them are individual nominations, but around 95% members have given sole responsibility to me to choose,” Lyonchhen said.
“All the six non-ministerial MPs are potential candidates who can handle the ministry. Soon the party will decide and announce the Home Minister,” Lyonchhen added.
Meanwhile, the former Home Minister, Dasho Sherub Gyeltshen, formally resigned after both Prime Minister and the Speaker of the National Assembly accepted his resignation in May this year.
The larger bench of the High Court convicted the former minister to two months in prison for claiming false vehicle insurance amounting to Nu 226,546. The larger bench had reportedly upheld the High Court’s verdict.
Kinley Yonten from Thimphu
