Being morally responsible

Accusations are flying thick and fast as the election campaigning is coming to a close. Within a few days, Bhutanese would be heading to the facilitation booths to vote for the candidates.

It is not sure how the last few days of campaigning would help the two parties, but what is sure is that the accusations and mudslinging against each other on social media is not going to help either. An analysis of posts and comments made on social media, especially Facebook gives an impression that political parties have die hard supporters- those who are incompetent to comprehend the democratic process or just happy to create divisions- to do damage to the electoral process.

There is nothing good said about the two parties. An appreciation of one party or candidate is bombarded with comments that could drive one to suicide. Some even have the luxury of time to create, edit and doctor videos and post on Facebook. It even indicates that Bhutanese are full of negativity.

Recently the DNT president, while campaigning in the east, said that DPT had hired people to defame and discredit his party. He had even an online conservation with the author who called him a liar. DPT had refuted the claims. Going by what is on social media, someone is excited to defame DNT. This is because DNT is on the receiving end when this paper analysed two day’s post on Facebook. There are also posts maligning the DPT and its president. We believe that our poor political parties cannot put people on their payroll to malign the other party, but judging by the posts, observers could find hard to rule that out.

Our authorities lack ideas and resources to handle the battle happening on social media. Therefore, it is the responsible of the two political parties to stop the dirty war on social media. As responsible political parties running to govern the country for the next five years, it is their moral responsibility to stop this.

They may be busy campaigning and lack idea, but a simple plea on the same platform, from, for instance, the two presidents could perhaps change the mind of the people without faces. The reactions is defending tooth and nail and circulating it through the media- mainstream and social media. No political parties have taken the time to post a genuine post requesting the netizens to refrain from creating problem.

The accusations are not helping anyone. It is appearing like a competition between the two presidents busy campaigning in the fields and social media undoing what they are trying to do.

In the end, no one benefits and democracy suffers.