Puran Gurung/ Thimphu With one new minister appointed and another reshuffled, the ruling Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) has gone through a pretty rough patch lately amid rumbling and recriminations from within the party. The appointment of Nganglam MP, Karma Dorji, as the labour and human resources minister drew an ire from some sitting MPs who felt the Prime Minister did not make the wisest of decisions in this particular matter. Moving Lyonpo Ugyen Dorji from labour and human resources ministry as the new home and cultural affairs minister was not very popular as well. But the Prime Minister stood steadfast that he made the best decision possible given the circumstances. He had gone through “sleepless nights” in order to come to a conclusive decision which he said took place after meticulous considerations including consulting his cabinet and the MPs. The disgruntled MPs cited MP Karma Dorji’s standing as one of the founding members of the party as the foremost reason why he received the ministerial berth. On this, the PM agreed that this factor counted “just a bit” while as far as capability is concerned, everyone he had considered for the post – and he said he considered almost everyone eligible - had a “competitive edge”. The MPS claimed that regionalism was also at play. The former home minister was from eastern Bhutan and it made sense to replace him with someone from the region. However, according to the disaffected MPs, the right person who should then have been considered for the post was Gangzur-Minjay’s Kinga Penjore because of his seniority as MP. While they agreed that nominating a minister is the ‘prerogative’ of the Prime Minister, it was also his duty to identify someone who is a senior MP elected in the 2018 elections and not the barely few-months-old bye election. The MPs also accused the PM who is also the party president for waiting until the results of the bye-elections were out in order to carry out a plan “that had been already been laid out” to reward a founding party member. “The party is above the founding members, it is for continuity and to serve the country,” said Athang-Thedtso MP, Kinley Wangchuk. In response to the PM’s statement that “all the candidates are competent for the ministerial berth”, the MP said: “the candidate must have a proven track record; capability is subjective while eligibility is not – everyone is eligible”. Kinga Penjore echoed the words of his counterpart from Athang-Thedtso saying “I am not really happy with the turn of events” but added that he respects the decision of the Prime Minister. The Drujeygang-Tseza MP Jurmi Wangchuk said the decision disappointed him but didn’t necessarily dampen his spirit. “We all know that politics is a dirty game yet we seem to be falling in the trap,” he said. “Having said that, it is better to stay as a straightforward politician even if I don’t win at the end of the day.” About the appointment of the new home minister, they said they wouldn’t have been disappointed if there was only replacement and not reshuffling, and that appointing someone too young to the ministry merited no wisdom. They added if Nganglam MP Karma Dorji had been sent to the home ministry, it would have been better. Sharing his side of the story, the Prime Minister said he had consulted with all the ministers in the cabinet who, in turn, asked the PM to assume the full power over this decision. About the home ministerial portfolio, the PM clarified that there is no seniority criterion as such. “If it has to be by age, then I am also not eligible to be a Prime Ministerial candidate,” he said. While dispelling the notion that the so called ‘Nyamrupness’ spirit had deteriorated because of this turn of events, the PM also explained that the DNT never made any prior commitments to candidates for ministerial posts. Meanwhile, a supporter of Lyonpo Karma Dorji poured cold water over the dissenting views. He pointed out that the minister is one of the senior-most in the party having been through “thick and thin” right from the party’s formation. Moreover, he is probably one of the most brilliant among the party ranks. “Look at his academic credentials or his track records as a professional, it is outstanding,” he said. “Unfortunately, we have a tendency here in Bhutan to judge a person’s capability solely through his/her confidence and ability to speak.” Amongst the initial nine nominees for the vacant ministerial post, three voluntarily dropped out. The final six nominees were BjiKarTshog-Uesu MP Ugyen Tenzin, Drujeygang-Tseza MP Jurmi Wangchuk, Lamgong-Wangchang MP Ugyen Tshering, Gangzur Minjey MP Kinga Penjore, Chhoekhor-Tang MP Dawa, and Nganglam MP Karma Dorji.