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Historic Bhutan polls on March 24

Thimphu (BHUTAN): The first general elections to choose 47 candidates for Bhutan’s National Assembly, the lower House of Parliament, will be held on March 24, the country’s poll panel announced on Thursday.

Two parties — Druk Phuensum Tshogpa and People’s Democratic Party — will contest the historic elections that will formally end absolute monarchy in the Himalayan country.

The election period begins with the two parties submitting letters of intent, stating their list of candidates, copies of manifestos, audited financial reports among others, on January 22 to the Election Commission.

Filing of nominations will be done from January 31 to February 7, after which candidates can start campaigning if their nomination is accepted. Bhutan elected 15 members to its National Council or upper House of Parliament on December 31 last year.

Bhutan’s transition to democracy began in 2001 when former King Jigme Singye Wangchuk handed over the powers of daily governance to a Council of Ministers.

In 2006, he abdicated the throne in favour of his Oxford-educated son Jigme Khesar Namgyel.

In the run-up to the National Assembly polls, two rounds of dummy elections were held last April and May in which the Bhutanese voted for traditional values.

Some 400,000 people are registered to elect the 47 members of the National Assembly. The country’s first democratically elected Prime Minister would be installed on March 25 after election authorities submit the list of winning lawmakers to the King.

Under a draft Constitution, the King will become head of state, but Parliament will have the power to impeach him by a two-thirds vote.

The change has been abrupt for Bhutan, where for decades the monarchs tried to shield the country — sandwiched between India and China — from the outside world, limiting tourists to 6,000 per year and carefully regulating outside influences. — PTI, AP

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