Thrimshing, Trashigang
Registered voters: 7,665 | Male: 3,706 | Female: 3,959
Damche Tenzin
Age: 51
Work experience: 28 years (1 year in the Judiciary/High Court, 12 years in RCSC, 6.5 years in BoB, 1.5 years in NPPF and 7 years in RMA)
Education: LL. M. ( Master of Laws from USA)
A proverb that summarises your belief.
Perseverance and hard work are the pivotal of all successes in life.
You spend most of your time doing…
Besides my dedication to my official duties, I spend my free time doing community service to the people in Thimphu, gardening and watching news around the globe.
Bhutan’s biggest challenge today is..?
Lack of harmony in the communities around the country, drainage of human resources and trust deficit in the governance.
What is politics to you?
Joining politics is one mode of service to my King, Country and People.
Pangzam bridge has collapsed several times.How would you resolve the issue?
The authority concerned at the time of construction of the bridge failed to provide proper attention/guidance coupled with the failure of engineering skills and supervision. Quality was compromised.
We would like to ensure that the quality of materials and construction are not compromised. Engineers should provide their best expertise and effort to construct a new reliable bridge that provides a lifeline to the people of Thrimshing and Kangpara by providing a shorter route to Samdrupjongkhar, a nearest commercial hub in the east.
How would you address the lack of a market for agricultural produce?
- Facilitate the agricultural aggregators to collect agricultural goods from villages and goods available in urban towns like Thimphu.
- Government to provide transport services to collect agricultural goods from villages and pay prices to farmers.
- Provide cold storage facilities to preserve goods.
- Build a new road to Shingkhar Lauri that would give alternative markets to the people of Thrimshing and Kangpara as there are huge markets for the agricultural goods and services in the Indian towns and institutes adjacent to Shingkhari Lauri.
Income opportunities glue people in the villages? What’s your plan?
- Supply better crop seeds that have high yields.
- Improve the road connectivity to facilitate transporting goods to the nearest markets.
- Provide chain-links to supplement the electric fencing to protect crops’ destruction by wild life.
- Ease the business restrictions in the border towns to sell the farm products of farmers.
- Provide a social security scheme to senior citizens so that our senior citizens do not migrate to urban areas.
- Provide low interest rates to youths and people who want to return to villages to Agri-farming or youth/ people want to agri-farming or business in the villages.
You are a new face to your voters. Why should the people of your constituency vote for you?
I have root in my village. It has been a year now interacting with the voters. I have new energy. BTP promises peace, unity, harmony and economic prosperity for the people. The Hope of the people of Thrimshing and Kangpara lies in the BTP and I am a bridge between the people and Government/BTP. I carry vast experiences in the governance. Above all, I will be able to deliver my promises to my people and therefore my people should vote for me based on my capability and trust. I can deliver…
Dorji Choden
Age: 62
Work experience: 22 years in civil service, Commissioner of Anti-Corruption Commission, Minister for Works and Settlements, UN office in Bhutan
Education: MA in Public Administration from Syracuse University, USA, B. Tech in Civil Engineering
A proverb that summarises your belief.
Life is a drama.
You spend most of your time doing…
A variety of things. I love cooking, tailoring, gardening and of course spending time with my two little grandkids. Some other times, I engage myself with activities of “DOROZAM”, a social enterprise I initiated to support livelihood of women and young girls.
Bhutan’s biggest challenge today is..?
Coping with the fast changing globalised world and fast advancing information technology of the 21st century. These have far reaching impact especially on youth – their outlook to life, their expectations, desires and their future. A small country like Bhutan is now subjected to pressures of change. “We are at an inflection point” a quote from His Majesty. This calls for leadership of a new era.
What is politics to you?
Politics is only a MEANS to an end, the ultimate end of choosing a government that best represents people and commits to good governance in its service to the nation and the people.
Pangzam bridge has collapsed several times. How would you resolve the issue?
This was very unfortunate. If I am elected, this will need immediate attention as the lower part of Thrimshing gewog is cut off from the gewog and the drungkhag office apart from severely cutting them off from many of their personal works of urgency. Depending on how much of the works were done by the erstwhile government, the design will need to be reviewed to ensure that the bridge will withstand any catastrophe in future. Critical infrastructure like bridge is PDP’s priority.
How would you address the lack of a market for agricultural produce?
This has always been the story of our agriculture products – when there is production, there is no market; and similarly when there is market, there is no production. To address this, we have special pledges to ensure a consistent and sustainable supply-demand chain through various strategies in production and marketing.
Income opportunities glue people in the villages? What’s your plan?
To believe that income opportunities right away will keep people in the villages may be far-fetched. Some may, many may not, given the challenges. Nevertheless, our villages will remain as our main source of food. Economic opportunities based solely on improved subsistence farming as done today will not be sustainable and cannot be the future of our agriculture. Agriculture will need to be developed as an industry. We have pledged to industrialise agriculture and even explore FDI to achieve our food self-sufficiency and food security. Through such agricultural transformations, it will be possible to make our villages economically vibrant and prosperous.
How does being a woman affect your chances in elections?
There can be exceptions, but generally this holds truth. I have come across many people expressing men as better in politics and preferred as better choices as leaders.
Personally also, I feel that women face greater challenges in politics, where the worst form of human behaviour is exposed. Being in a small society of ours where everyone knows each or are related to each other, confrontations, clashes and betrayals are common in the efforts to garner votes. Women in general are not able to compete along these lines. In addition, women are also incapacitated by their domestic and child care roles.
As a woman who contested in all four elections, the game of politics is neither easy nor pleasant and certainly not certain. However, I believe that on account of my sincerity and genuineness in my service to people, I have gained some level of trust from my voters. I hold high hopes in winning this election.