Democracy dies behind closed doors

October 26th, 2024

In a concerning development for Bhutan’s democratic principles, the directive mandating all government communications through the Policy and Planning Division’s media focal persons raises serious constitutional questions. This bureaucratic barrier not only challenges media freedom but also contradicts His Majesty’s vision of participatory democracy, particularly evident in His Majesty’s recent call during the Australian visit for open dialogue on GMC. The restriction, channeling information through officials with limited authority, threatens the constitutional cornerstone of transparent governance- adding salt to already wounded media.