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20 national councilors 11 seats needed for a majority | |||
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Turnout | 54.64% [1] | ||
Incumbent re-elected Incumbent defeated Open seat | |||
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National Council elections were held in Bhutan on 20 April 2023. [2] [3] [4]
The 20 members of the National Council were elected from single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting. [5]
Dzongkhag | Candidate | Votes | % | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bumthang | Kencho Tshering | 4,381 | 40.1 | Elected |
Kunzang Dorji | 2,261 | 20.7 | Unseated | |
Chukha | Sangay Dorji | 7,958 | 28.4 | Re-elected |
Damcho Gyeltshen | 4,141 | 14.78 | ||
Hem Prasad Rai | 2,078 | 7.42 | ||
Tandin Wangchuk | 999 | 3.57 | ||
Dagana | Birendra Chimoria | 7,143 | 25.88 | Elected |
Surjaman Thapa | 3,787 | 13.72 | Unseated | |
Tshechu | 2,737 | 9.92 | ||
Dawa | 1,746 | 6.33 | ||
Gasa | Tshering | 986 | 43.26 | Elected |
Dorji Khandu | 806 | 35.37 | Unseated | |
Haa | Dago Tsheringla | 2,690 | 31.84 | Elected |
Ugyen Namgay | 2,101 | 24.87 | Unseated | |
Lhuntse | Kelzang Lhundup | 4,600 | 24.89 | Elected |
Tshering Penjor | 4,514 | 24.43 | ||
Mongar | Tshering Wangchen | 6,066 | 15.9 | Elected |
Sonam Pelzom | 4,349 | 11.4 | Unseated | |
Tashi Penjor | 3,591 | 9.41 | ||
Dorji Wangmo | 3,305 | 8.66 | ||
Chhimi Dorji | 1,993 | 5.22 | ||
Tshering Dorji | 1,255 | 3.29 | ||
Jigme Tenzin | 926 | 2.43 | ||
Paro | Ugyen Tshering | 3,547 | 16.99 | Re-elected |
Jigme | 3,330 | 15.95 | ||
Gyeltshen Dukpa | 2,135 | 10.23 | ||
Ugyen Dorji | 2,047 | 9.8 | ||
Zecko | 882 | 4.22 | ||
Pemagatshel | Jamyang Namgyal | 7,149 | 25.03 | Elected |
Choining Dorji | 4,213 | 14.75 | Unseated | |
Yeshey Jamtsho | 3,999 | 14 | ||
Punakha | Namgay Dorji | 3,316 | 17.65 | Elected |
Lhaki Dolma | 2,843 | 15.13 | Unseated | |
Chencho Wangdi | 1,968 | 10.48 | ||
Dophu Dukpa | 1,627 | 8.66 | ||
Dorji Tenzin | 1,164 | 6.2 | ||
Samdrup Jongkhar | Tshewang Rinchen | 5,639 | 19.64 | Elected |
Tshering Norbu | 3,117 | 10.86 | ||
Tempa Gyeltshen | 2,999 | 10.45 | ||
Karma Tshering Wangchuk | 2,081 | 7.25 | ||
Ran Bahadur Biswa | 1,517 | 5.28 | ||
Tshering Choeda | 965 | 3.36 | ||
Samtse | Tashi Dendup | 7,161 | 13.82 | Elected |
Kumar Ghalley | 5,202 | 10.04 | ||
Subash Sharma | 4,751 | 9.17 | ||
Ngawang Tshering | 3,585 | 6.92 | ||
Chungdu Tshering | 1,776 | 3.43 | ||
Pol Prasad Chapagai | 1,595 | 3.08 | ||
Til Chand Sharma | 1,138 | 2.2 | ||
Samir Giri | 1,029 | 1.99 | ||
Sarpang | Pema Tashi | 5,253 | 15.54 | Elected |
San Bdr. Monger | 2,918 | 8.63 | ||
Kuenga | 2,863 | 8.47 | ||
Dechen Lhaden | 2,170 | 6.42 | ||
Deo Kumar Rimal | 1,957 | 5.79 | ||
Anand Rai | 1,848 | 5.47 | Unseated | |
Khari Lal Gurung | 1,091 | 3.23 | ||
Rajesh Rai | 804 | 2.38 | ||
Dorji Dukpa | 760 | 2.25 | ||
Thimphu | Leki Tshering | 4,102 | 24.97 | Elected |
Nima Gyeltshen | 3,046 | 18.54 | ||
Trashigang | Sonam Tobgyel | 12,958 | 24.83 | Elected |
Gongsar Karma Chhopel | 5,584 | 10.7 | ||
Jakar Dorji | 4,923 | 9.44 | ||
Sangay Tenzin | 1,738 | 3.33 | ||
Galey Tenzin | 987 | 1.89 | ||
Trashiyangtse | Sonam Tenzin | 3,624 | 17.6 | Elected |
Ngawang Tashi | 2,708 | 13.15 | ||
Kiba Wangchuk | 1,690 | 8.21 | ||
Karma Gyeltshen | 1,350 | 6.56 | Unseated | |
Sonam Tshering | 1,162 | 5.64 | ||
Trongsa | Rinzin Namgyal | 3,109 | 27.95 | Elected |
Sonam Penjor | 2,897 | 26.05 | ||
Tsirang | Nima Wangdi | 5,359 | 20.52 | Elected |
Sarvajit Rai | 3,382 | 12.95 | ||
Yangkhu Tshering Sherpa | 2,689 | 10.29 | ||
Narapati Nepal | 1,146 | 4.39 | ||
Raghu Nath Nepal | 921 | 3.53 | ||
Gopal Thapa | 886 | 3.39 | ||
Wangdue Phodrang | Phub Dorji | 4,143 | 18.52 | Elected |
Nim Gyeltshen | 3,498 | 15.64 | ||
Ugyen | 3,176 | 14.2 | ||
Karma Dorji | 2,204 | 9.85 | ||
Kuenley Tshering | 1,709 | 7.64 | ||
Zhemgang | Tshering Tshomo | 3,170 | 15.45 | Elected |
Sonam Leki | 2,930 | 14.28 | ||
Thinley Jamtsho | 2,781 | 13.55 | ||
Tshering Yeshi | 1,367 | 6.66 | ||
Samphel Dendup | 1,343 | 6.54 | ||
Total | 265,441 | 100 | ||
Registered voters/turnout | 485,811 | 54.64 | ||
Source: Election Commission of Bhutan |
The Government of Bhutan has been a constitutional monarchy since 18 July 2008. The King of Bhutan is the head of state. The executive power is exercised by the Lhengye Zhungtshog, or council of ministers, headed by the Prime Minister. Legislative power is vested in the bicameral Parliament, both the upper house, National Council, and the lower house, National Assembly. A royal edict issued on April 22, 2007 lifted the previous ban on political parties in anticipation of the National Assembly elections in the following year. In 2008, Bhutan adopted its first modern Constitution, codifying the institutions of government and the legal framework for a democratic multi-party system.
The Kingdom of Bhutan is divided into 20 districts. Bhutan is located between the Tibet Autonomous Region of China and India on the eastern slopes of the Himalayas in South Asia.
The Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) is an autonomous division in Assam, India, and a proposed state in Northeast India. It is made up of five districts on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River below the foothills of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. It is administered by an elected body known as the Bodoland Territorial Council which came into existence under the terms of a peace agreement signed in February 2003 and its autonomy was further extended by an agreement signed in January 2020. The region covers an area of over nine thousand square kilometres and is predominantly inhabited by the Bodo people and other indigenous communities of Assam.
Elections in Bhutan are conducted at national (Parliamentary) and local levels. Suffrage is universal for citizens 18 and over, and under applicable election laws. In national elections, also known as the general elections, political party participation is mainly restricted to the lower house of Parliament, and by extension, to the executive nominated by its majority
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The National Assembly is the elected lower house of Bhutan's bicameral Parliament which also comprises the Druk Gyalpo and the National Council.
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The Parliament of Bhutan consists of the King of Bhutan together with a bicameral parliament. This bicameral parliament is made up of an upper house, the National Council and a lower house, the National Assembly. The current parliamentary framework replaced the unicameral Tshogdu in 2007, with the first members taking seats in 2008.
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Tshencho Wangdi is a Bhutanese politician who was the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan from November 2018 to 2023. He was a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan from October 2018 to 2023.
Tshering Tshomo is a Bhutanese politician and former teacher. During the 2023 election, she was the only woman directly elected to serve in the National Council, representing Zhemgang District.