The Constitution – the King's Gift: Defiling and Sanctifying a Sacred Gift

In: Beyond the Ballot Box: Report from the Deepening and Sustaining Democracy in Asia. Thimphu, Centre for Bhutan Studies 2010, pp. 134-180 . ISBN 978-99936-14-61-6

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Abstract

The essay deals with handling and the interpretation of the Bhutanese constitution in the context of the constitution as a gift from the Fourth King of Bhutan. When Bhutan's first elected Parliament convened its session, the first debate centered on the question of either endorsing the draft Constitution intact or discussing the contents before promulgating it. The author remarks , that more than a year with the experience of parliamentary democracy, the Constitution as a gift of the King and a sanctified document became the context within which debates in the Parliament took place. Differences however, persist as to how that sanctity is to be preserved and honoured. But differences, parliamentarians agree, are crucial to activating democracy as much as resolving them within the framework of rule of law is a necessary component of consolidating democracy.