National Assembly elections were held in Bhutan for the first time on 24 March 2008. Two parties were registered by the Election Commission of Bhutan to contest the elections; Druk Phuensum Tshogpa, led by Jigme Y. Thinley, which was formed by the merger of the Bhutan People's United Party and All People's Party, and the People's Democratic Party (PDP). A third political party, the Bhutan National Party (BNP), had its application for the registration refused.
The development of Bhutanese democracy has been marked by the active encouragement and participation of reigning Bhutanese monarchs since the 1950s, beginning with legal reforms such as the abolition of slavery, and culminating in the enactment of Bhutan's Constitution. The first democratic elections in Bhutan began in 2007, and all levels of government had been democratically elected by 2011. These elections included Bhutan's first ever partisan National Assembly election. Democratization in Bhutan has been marred somewhat by the intervening large-scale expulsion and flight of Bhutanese refugees during the 1990s; the subject remains somewhat taboo in Bhutanese politics.
Druk Phuensum Tshogpa is one of the major political parties in Bhutan. It was formed on 25 July 2007 as a merger of the All People's Party and the Bhutan People's United Party, which were both short-lived. The working committee of the merged entity, headed by the former home minister, Jigmi Yoezer Thinley, decided on the name for the new party. On 15 August 2007, Jigmi Yoezer Thinley was elected president of the party, and the party applied for registration, thus becoming the second political party in Bhutan to do so. On 2 October 2007, the Election Commission of Bhutan registered the party. On 24 March 2008, the party won the first general election held in Bhutan. The party secured 45 of the 47 seats to the National Assembly. The party tends to be more popular in the east of the country.
The National Assembly is the elected lower house of Bhutan's bicameral Parliament which also comprises the Druk Gyalpo and the National Council. It is the more powerful house.
National Assembly elections were held in Bhutan on 31 May and 13 July 2013. The result was a victory for the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP), which won 32 of the 47 seats. The elections were the second general elections to occur in Bhutan since former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck ushered in democratic reforms.
Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa, formerly the Social Democratic Party, is one of the five registered political parties in Bhutan. It was registered on 20 January 2013. The DNT has been Bhutan's governing party since the 2018 National Assembly election, in which the party won a majority of the seats.
The Druk Chirwang Tshogpa was a Bhutanese political party. It was registered on January 7, 2013. In the primary round of the 2nd National Assembly elections held in 2013, the DCT had 12,457 votes and came fourth place, not winning in any constituency, and so could not take part in the final round. The Election Commission of Bhutan announced on February 26, 2018 that the Party was being deregistered on its own request. The party then merged with Druk Phuensum Tshogpa.
Lily Wangchuk or Lily Wangchhuk is a Bhutanese politician, diplomat and activist. A diplomat between 1994 and 2008, in November 2012 she became the first Bhutanese woman to be appointed president of a political party.
Lotay Tshering is a Bhutanese politician and surgeon who was the prime minister of Bhutan, in office from 7 November 2018 to 1 November 2023. He has also been the president of Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa since 14 May 2018.
Wangchuk Namgyel is a Bhutanese educationist and politician who is the current speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan, in office since November 2018. He has been a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan, since October 2018.
Tshencho Wangdi is a Bhutanese politician who is the current Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan, in office since November 2018. He has been a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan, since October 2018.
Namgay Tshering is a Bhutanese politician who has been Minister for Finance since November 2018. He has been a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan, since October 2018.
DrungtshoKarma Wangchuk is a Bhutanese politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan, since October 2018.
Jurmi Wangchuk is a Bhutanese politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan, since October 2018.
Hemant Gurung is a Bhutanese politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan, since October 2018. Previously, he was a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan from 2008 to 2013.
Yeshey Dem is a Bhutanese politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan since October 2018.
Ugen Tenzin is a Bhutanese politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan, since October 2018. Previously, he was a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan from 2008 to 2013.
Kinga Penjor is a Bhutanese politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan, since October 2018.
Karma Lhamo is a Bhutanese educator and politician. She was elected to the National Assembly in 2008, becoming one of its first female members elected under universal suffrage.
National Assembly elections are being held in Bhutan on 30 November 2023 and 9 January 2024.
