King Jigme’s proposal

King Jigme Singye Wangchuk has indicated his interest in abdicating and handing over the crown to his son, Crown Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck. We laud this expression of interest by a sitting monarch to hand over power, without going into a paroxysm of praise as sections of the international media have done nor cynically challenging every word of the king's statement as Kathmandu and Lhotshampa refugee commentators have done.
The fact is that King Jigme is an astute diplomat, who knows how to implement a policy he has set. To the king goes much of the credit for national advance in cultural preservation, environmental measures, Druk Yul's controlled entry into the modern world, smart diplomacy especially with India, and an ability to bring in high-end tourism to cash in on the attractive Drukpa-Kagyu culture of north and west Bhutan. The monarch's ability to turn astute Western and Indian diplomats into praiseful supplicants makes him unique among the leaders of Southasia – and he impresses by the simple acts of coming down to the palace portal to greet visiting diplomats.

The initiative of King Jigme to convert the traditional feudal monarchy into a modern-day, constitution-abiding nation state must also be welcomed. The draft constitution, however, has many elements that are questionable and must be challenged, including the king's prerogative to appoint Supreme Court justices, and the government's ability to create statelessness in its citizenry.