Controversial position – cabinet secretary- filled

One of the three seats vacated after the government suspended three secretaries has been filled, formally, after the king announced the appointment of cabinet secretary on Wednesday (8 April).

Secretary General of the National Assembly Kinzang Wangdi has been appointed as cabinet secretary at the recommendation of Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and approval from Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC).

Wangdi served as the Secretary General of the National Assembly for almost three years since his appointment on 1 June 2012.

On December 12 last year, the government sacked three senior Secretaries that included the Cabinet Secretary Penden Wangchuk, Economic Affairs Secretary Sonam Tshering and Foreign Secretary Yeshey Dorji and “surrendered” them to the Royal Civil Service Commission for further action.

The charges against the three Secretaries included- exceeding their mandate, breaching rules, misusing the institution of a committee of Secretaries, misrepresenting the government and not keeping the Prime Minister informed of the committee’s discussions and decisions.

Later, the Royal Civil Service Commission of Bhutan had announced the suspended secretaries would not be assigned to the same role, despite demands from the opposition. The new positions for the former secretaries have not been made public. One of them, Penden Wangchuk has retired last month without being assigned any new portfolio.