Page 70 - voice-international-oct2022

Bhutan

Encouraging Bhutan’s Parliament to adopt public

hearings, engage with citizens

nder the theme of ‘Taking
Parliament to the People’,
U International IDEA and
Bhutan’s Parliamentary Secretariats
jointly hosted a three-day workshop
for members and staff of the
country’s parliament. Held from
May 20-22, 2022, the workshop
was designed to strengthen the
use of public hearings in Bhutan’s
parliamentary process. University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) and
The participants were enthusiastic with their Hannah Johnson, a senior gender adviser to the
learning outcomes. Speaking during the workshop, a EU-funded INTER PARES and a researcher at Welsh
parliamentary member said that it became clear that Parliament, attended virtually. Sangay Khandu, a
public hearings are more than just an information- former Bhutanese parliamentarian facilitated in the
gathering mechanism used by the parliamentary training. Over the course of the workshop, emphasis
committees, but also a means of gaining better was given on the fact that public hearings are an
understanding of policies and legislations, educating entry point for citizens to engage in parliamentary
the public, and conducting effective oversight affairs, thereby increasing transparency of
and scrutiny of parliamentary and governance governmental operations and building public trust in
processes. governance institutions and processes.
The workshop was led by two international Resource persons provided programmatic advice
experts. Halfdan Lynge, a Senior Lecturer at the on how to invite interested parties to hearings or
give evidence. They also demonstrated practical
methods of listening to the opinions of those
who are either positively or negatively affected
by a legislative or policy outcome, suggesting.
that in public hearings parliamentarians have to
put themselves in ‘listening mode’ rather than
“broadcasting mode”.
Leena Rikkilä Tamang, the Regional Director of
International IDEA’s Asia and Pacific programme,
shared the Institute’s experiences stressing
that “an effective public hearing process brings
the parliament closer to the people.” She also
highlighted that Buthan, unlike most democratic
states, the written constitution and rules of
procedures of both houses, the National Assembly
and National Council, explicitly mention the conduct
of public hearings.

70 | VoICE International | October 2022