Electoral system
The election was held in two rounds. In the first round every party contested all 20 Dzongkhags (the administrative and judicial districts of Bhutan). The parties with the two highest vote tallies progressed to the second round, in which they put forward candidates in each of the 47 National Assembly constituencies. [1] In the first round of the elections, the Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party had received roughly 40% of votes and the People's Democratic Party receiving approximately 30%, with two other parties sharing the other 30% of the votes. [2]
A dzongkhag is an administrative and judicial district of Bhutan. The twenty dzongkhags of Bhutan are further divided into 205 gewogs. Some larger dzongkhags have one or more of an intermediate judicial division, known as dungkhags (sub-districts), which themselves comprise two or more gewogs. The Parliament of Bhutan passed legislation in 2002 and 2007 on the status, structure, and leadership of local governments, including dzongkhags. Its most recent legislation regarding dzongkhags is the Local Government Act of 2009. A dzongkhag is headed by a dzongdag, who is an elected official.
Bhutan comprises twenty districts.
The Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party, or 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.
A total of 381,790 voters were registered for the election. [4] The election date for the first round was made a public holiday, with all businesses required to close on the day. [5] Over 4,000 electronic voting machines were provided by India for the election. [6]
Campaign
Four parties contested the election; the ruling Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party (DPT), the main opposition People's Democratic Party, and two new parties, Druk Nymrub Tshogpa and Druck Chirwang Tshogpa. [7] A fifth party, the Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party, attempted to participate in the election, but failed to field a university-educated candidate in Gasa District in the northern part of the country. Consequently, the Bhutanese Elections Commission disqualified the party, even though each of the four other parties had made official requests to the commission to allow the Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party to participate. [2] The head of the party, Sonam Tobgay, stated that "Four parties appealing for the fifth party, who couldn’t qualify, is something unprecedented universally and internationally, something special and noble." [2] The DPT campaigned for the support of rural communities having improved access to roads, mobile phone networks and electricity during its tenure.
Gasa District or Gasa Dzongkhag is one of the 20 dzongkhags (districts) comprising Bhutan. The northern part of Gasa District is a disputed zone under the control of the People's Republic of China. The capital of Gasa District is Gasa Dzong near Gasa. It is located in the far north of the county and spans the Middle and High regions of the Tibetan Himalayas. The dominant language of the district is Dzongkha, which is the national language. Related languages, Layakha and Lunanakha, are spoken by semi-nomadic communities in the north of the district.
Ties with India had recently come under strain after it cut subsidised cooking gas and kerosene to Bhutan, viewed as a punishment for developing ties with China. [8] This tripled the cost of fuel and made relations between the two neighbours a major electoral issue. [9] The consequent rise in fuel prices was coupled with a credit crunch and import restrictions after the country ran short of foreign exchange reserves of the Indian rupee. [10] The People's Democratic Party had campaigned on a platform of stronger relations with India and a decentralisation of powers, devolving control through local government. [8]
The 'bilateral relations between the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan and the Republic of India have been traditionally close and both countries share a 'special relationship', making Bhutan a protected state, but not a protectorate, of India. India remains influential over Bhutan's foreign policy, defence and commerce. In 2012–13 fiscal, India's budgetary support to the Kingdom country stood at US$600 million. It steadily rose over the years to reach US$985 million in 2015–16 making Bhutan the largest beneficiary of India's foreign aid. Bhutan’s Prime minister, Tshering Tobgay, secured an additional aid package from India worth INR 54 billion for his nation during his visit to New Delhi in August 2013. Five-sixth of this amount has been earmarked for Bhutan's 11th Five-Year plan. INR 4 billion was for the pending projects of the previous plan period. The remaining INR 5 billion was part of India's "Economic stimulus package" for Bhutan's slowing economy. India operates 3 hydro power projects, of 1,416 MW in Bhutan and 3 more of 2,129 MW are under construction. The third Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering secured an aid package of about Nu.45 Billion(about $635 million) for the 12th five year plan in his first overseas visit to India in November of 2018. During this meeting the tariff rate for the Mangdechhu Hydropower Project plant was also brought under discussion where Lotay Tshering tried to raise the rate to Nu.4.27 but it ended more towards the Indian Governement's negotiation price of Nu.4.1. The revised tariff rate for the plant was then settled at Nu.4.12. The government of Bhutan also received Nu.4Billion for trade facilitation and boosting economic linkages.
A local government is a form of public administration which, in a majority of contexts, exists as the lowest tier of administration within a given state. The term is used to contrast with offices at state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government and also to supranational government which deals with governing institutions between states. Local governments generally act within powers delegated to them by legislation or directives of the higher level of government. In federal states, local government generally comprises the third tier of government, whereas in unitary states, local government usually occupies the second or third tier of government, often with greater powers than higher-level administrative divisions.
Results
The voting process was a challenge due to the mountainous terrain as officials had to trek for seven days to set up some polling stations. [10]
As a result of the election, Tshering Tobgay is expected to be named Prime Minister of the new government, [8] to form once a 10-day "petition period" for electoral complaints to be heard has finished. [6] Three women were elected, with Dorji Choden of the PDP expected to be Bhutan's first female minister. [6]
| Party | First round | Second round |
|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|
| People's Democratic Party | 68,650 | 32.53 | 138,760 | 54.88 | 32 | +30 |
| Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party | 93,949 | 44.52 | 114,093 | 45.12 | 15 | −30 |
| Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa | 35,962 | 17.04 | |
| Druk Chirwang Tshogpa | 12,457 | 5.90 |
|
| Total | 211,018 | 100 | 252,853 | 100 | 47 | 0 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 381,790 | 55.27 | 381,790 | 66.23 | |
| Source: Electoral Commission of Bhutan a, b c |
Reaction and analysis
Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh sent the PDP a message of congratulations, assuring Bhutan of India's "steadfast and unflinching support." [8]
The PDP victory was considered an upset by the media. [10]
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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 election: the Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party, which was formed by the merger of the previously established Bhutan People's United Party and All People's Party and is led by Jigme Y. Thinley, and the People's Democratic Party (PDP). The third political party, the Bhutan National Party (BNP), had its application for the registration canceled.
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.
The National Assembly is the elected lower house of Bhutan's new bicameral Parliament which also comprises the Druk Gyalpo and the National Council. It is the more powerful house.
Tshering Tobgay is a Bhutanese politician, environmentalist, and cultural advocate who was the Prime Minister of Bhutan from July 2013 to August 2018. Tobgay is leader of the People's Democratic Party, and was also the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly from March 2008 to April 2013.
Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa, formerly Social Democrat Party is one of the five registered political parties in Bhutan. It was registered on 20 January 2013. As a result of the 2018 national assembly election, DNT is the governing party of Bhutan as the largest party in the National Assembly.
Pema Gyamtsho is a Bhutanese politician who has been the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Bhutan and the Second Party President of Druk Phuensum Tshogpa since 2013. He is the First Minister of Agriculture and Forest in the Democratic Government of Bhutan.
Aum Dorji Choden is a Bhutanese politician. She was appointed minister of Bhutan's Works and Human Settlement Ministry in 2013, making her the first woman to serve as a minister in Bhutan.
Ugyen Wangdi is a Bhutanese politician who is currently a Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) member of the National Assembly of Bhutan since October 2018. Previously he was member of the National Assembly from 2013 to 2018.
Rinzin Jamtsho 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 2013 to 2018.
Kezang Wangmo is a Bhutanese politician, actress, poet, singer, dancer and goodwill ambassador for organic farming in Bhutan. Kezang was born in Paro District, western part of Bhutan, where she learned to act at her school.
National Assembly elections were held in Bhutan in 2018; the first round was held on 15 September and the second round on 18 October.
Lotay Tshering is a Bhutanese doctor-turned-politician who is the current Prime Minister of Bhutan, in office since 7 November 2018. He is also the president of Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa since 14 May 2018.
Drungtsho Karma 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.
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.
Tshering Choden is a Bhutanese politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan, since October 2018.
Gyambo Tshering is a Bhutanese politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of Bhutan, since October 2018.
