Our political pendulum on the emergence of Bhutanese political parties appears to be reversing. Having seen no sign of interest for months we now get the impression that there might be a sudden rush of people to join political parties. So what next?

The slow start was understandable, given the fact that we were overwhelmed by the changes initiated by His Majesty the fourth Druk Gyalpo. As newcomers to the world of electoral politics we also need time to learn the new culture. In that sense we commend those who have taken initiatives and moved into the process.

As the momentum picks up we are finding out what we have always known. Given our small population the number of potential candidates and party workers is limited. Our bank of educated and capable Bhutanese men and women are spread thinly across the bureaucracy, the corporate and private sector, and now politics.

What is important at this stage, therefore, is that we do not go overboard. We have seen the herd mentality take control of people, from trucking to fashion to businesses to education. We are likely to see it gain momentum in politics, perhaps more than we have seen it in the past.

Our dilemma today is that the bulk of what we might call the professional generation is in the civil service and a smaller segment in the corporations and private sector. So we have looked to the civil servants to provide the leadership and backbone for political parties.

At the same time we cannot afford to dilute the vital role that the bureaucracy needs to play in the new political system. The civil service will have to continue providing stability in Bhutan's highly successful development journey.

Having entered new terrain we are making up some of the rules as we go along but this is done within the broad guidelines that include a draft Constitution. As a small and, therefore, vulnerable society the overall national interests have to precede individual interests. Today this includes political ambitions.

Civil servants, in fact all employees, have obligations to fulfill. We would not like to see all the best-trained professionals leaving the civil service at the risk of undermining the professional services that the government is mandated to provide for the people.

At the same time the political sphere beckons capable people. It is an opportunity for potential leaders to become good leaders.

Ultimately, the choice cannot be the individual's alone. The RCSC will have to make the rules as far as the bonded civil servants are concerned. While today's commission may not be independent of individual ministries at a time when some heads of ministries and senior officials are moving into politics it has the crucial responsibility of ensuring the neutrality of the bureaucracy. We now need policies to ensure a good balance in the distribution of our greatest resource, the people.

We all must try to work our way around this dilemma and find a solution

-- Kuensel