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Dorji, Kunkhen (2013), ‘Bhutan Elections 2013: A Difficult Road Ahead?’, IPCS Article, No. 3894, April 2013.
Click here to view the full-text-article.
Abstract:
The upcoming general elections in Bhutan will see many new faces at the grass root level, but the same cannot be said about their party’s leadership who have served Bhutan in many distinguished fields. The Opposition are quite critical about the first elected government of Bhutan, but are not able to provide a good alternative model as a solution to the many domestic and foreign policy related matters affecting the country today.
Will this election see new faces, or the victory of the old guards? Will it be able [read more...]
Ramachandran, Sudha (2013), ‘Bhutan’s Second Trip to the Parliamentary Polls’, published in The Diplomat on 27 March 2013.
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Abstract:
Nestled in the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan conjures up images of peace and tranquility. Indeed, it is a country of serene and striking geographic beauty. But this setting brings with it an isolation that kept Bhutan politically sealed off from the rest of the world as an absolute monarchy until 2008, when it became a democracy.
Over the next couple of months Bhutan will take steps towards further consolidating its fledgling democracy. Its people will vote first for the National Council (the upper house of parliament) and then [read more...]
Bisht, Medha (2013), ‘Bhutan: Elections 2013′, published at openDemocracy on 21 January 2013.
Click here to read the full article.
Abstract:
Five years ago the remote Himalayan state of Bhutan turned from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy, making it the youngest democracy on earth. Looking back at the developments since the transition, the democratization of Bhutan was a success story despite a few shortcomings.
Come March 2013, and Bhutan will be set fair for its second round of parliamentary elections. While the past five years have been an exploratory phase for Bhutan, in terms of experimenting with and internalizing democratic norms, they nevertheless bear witness to the fact that the formal [read more...]
Kaul, Nitasha (2008), ‘Power to the People’, in CSD Bulletin, 15(2), 1-2,20.
Click here to download the full-text-version of this article.
Abstract:
In 2008 Bhutan completed a peaceful transition to a parliamentary democracy. Initiated by the monarch, the process was unique: a voluntary abdication of power in the face of public opposition to democracy. (Indeed, had a referendum on the desirability of a transition to democracy been held at the time of the elections it would have failed). On 24 March, 79.4 per cent of a total of 318,465 registered voters, in 47 constituencies in 20 provinces, cast their ballot in a general election. Some had taken out bank loans to finance [read more...]
Gallenkamp, Marian (2011), ‘The long way of consolidating and learning Democracy: Bhutan’s Local Government Elections 2011′, openDemocracy, 13.09.2011 .
Click here to view the full-text-version of this article.
Abstract:
In 2008, the Kingdom of Bhutan successfully made its transition to democracy by electing representatives to the newly formed parliament (47-member National Assembly (Tshogdu) and 25-member National Council (Gyelyong Tshogde)) and by adopting the country’s first constitution. Now, more than three years after these historic events, democracy has finally been expanded to the local level. With two rounds of Local Government Elections on 21 January and 27 June 2011, Bhutan’s democratization has now reached the level of district, block, and municipal administration.
The [read more...]
Gallenkamp, Marian (2011), ‘Kommunalwahlen im Königreich Bhutan’ [Local Government Elections in the Kingdom of Bhutan], published at www.suedasien.info, 28. August 2011.
This article is only available in German. Click here to read the full-text-version of this article.
Abstract:
Mehr als drei Jahre nach den ersten demokratischen Wahlen hat Bhutan 2011 auch auf lokaler Eben eine Demokratisierung vollzogen. Ende 2007 waren zunächst die 20 Mitglieder des Oberhauses des Parlaments als Vertreter der 20 Verwaltungsdistrikte gewählt worden; wenige Monate später wurden die 47 Abgeordneten der Nationalversammlung gewählt. Mit den Kommunalwahlen im Januar und Juni 2011 hat der Prozess der demokratischen Bestellung von Repräsentanten und Abgeordneten nun auch auf der Distrikts- und Gemeindeebene Einzug gehalten.
[read more...]
A collection of news reports in the aftermath of Local Government Elections in Bhutan on 27 June 2011, compiled from Kuensel Online, Bhutan Observer and Bhutan Today.
Kuensel Online 30 July, 2011
Once an inherited post, community leaders are now democratically elected — When Kinzang Tobgay first became a gup in 1991, he found himself sitting at home most of the time, awaiting orders from the dzongkhag authority that a messenger normally handed him. If orders did come, they mostly required him to do some legwork. He’d have to walk to villages in his gewog of Menji, Lhuentse, and he would be scowled at, for the job entailed him to collect tax from villagers.
[read more...]
The document below has been compiled from all the single pdf files provided by the Election Commission of Bhutan on its homepage (http://www.election-bhutan.org.bt/LGElectionResult/).
The results are in alphabetical order for each of the 20 Dzongkhags subdivided into contested and uncontested races.
Click here to download the file.
This Update provides all news and information concerning the candidates and the results of the Local Government Elections in Bhutan on 27 June 2011. A separate post concerning the conduct and process of the elections can be found here.
Kuensel Online 27 June, 2011
The reluctant candidate — Even as Chamkhar town residents ready for poll day to elect their representative to the thromde thumei, contestants Chhimi Wangchuk and Sonam Phuntsho are in a tricky situation.
A chiwog to decide — In what is expected to be a very close contest among the four candidates vying for the post of Bjena gup in Wangduephodrang, one chiwog will decide who will become the gup, [read more...]
This Update provides all news and information regarding the process, conduct, and rules of the Local Government Elections in Bhutan on 27 June 2011. A separate post concerning the candidates and results of the polls can be found here.
Kuensel Online 27 June, 2011
No one to count on at the counting — For fear of being sidelined by the newly elected gup, no villager in the Lingmukha-Toedwang constituency in Punakha is willing to represent the contestants at the polling stations when votes are counted. The five contestants couldn’t arrange their representatives and will now depend on election officials, when the votes are counted this evening.
The foot soldiers of democracy — [read more...]
The final update before the LG Elections, compiled from Kuensel, Bhutan Today and BBS in June 2011.
Kuensel Online 09 June, 2011
Campaign rush — Campaigning period having been shortened, candidates wonder if they will be able to meet all voters. With the campaigning period on, candidates for different local government posts might be knocking every possible door to garner support from the voters in other dzongkhags. For those in Trashigang it began yesterday.
Kuensel Online 10 June, 2011
A sluggish take off — After much delay, candidates for different local government posts in Trashigang resumed campaigning yesterday, with the first common forum taking off in Bidung gewog. Despite the delay, [read more...]
Rajput, Madhu (ed.), (2010), Bhutan from Theocracy to Democracy (Jaipur: Gauttam Book Co).
Description:
“Bhutan, a country in the North East of Indian subcontinent has always been a “Mysterious” mountain kingdom. India and Bhutan have always been good neighbours and friendly states. An unfamiliar mist has always enveloped the events happening inside this mountain kingdom. 2008 has been an important year for Bhutan, as it heralds a new era for its people. To unveil the mystery, that is Bhutan, this work is an effort to gaze into the political, social and economic development of Bhutan, particularly during the time of His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth King, who capitalized on the firm [read more...]
Sithey, Gyambo and Tandin Dorji (2009), Drukyul Decides: In the Minds of Bhutan’s First Voters (Thimphu: The Centre for Research Initiative).
Description:
Many people have a ready answer on why Bhutan voted the way they did in the country’s first general elections in March 2008, giving the ruling government 45 of the 47 seats in the National Assembly.
But there is a general reluctance to come on record, given the surrounding sensitivities. It is the same kind of reluctance – a population unwilling to speak their minds – that Gyambo Sithey and Dr Tandi Dorji came across as they attempted to document and put together the story of Bhutan’s first democratic elections, [read more...]
Sen Gupta, Bhabani (1999), Bhutan: Towards a Grass-Root Participatory Polity (Delhi: Konark Publishers).
Content:
1. Land, People, Religion and Culture, Bhutan’s Emergence as a Nation-State
2. Government and Politics
3. Political economy
4. National Assembly in Session
5. Lhotshampas and Ngolops
6. External relations and Foreign Policy
7. Building a Participatory Grass-root Democracy
Selected Bibliography, Index
Description:
It is the first ever study of participatory political system in Bhutan highlighting how King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, in his 27 years of rule, has ushered his kingdom to an effective, though partyless, grassroot democracy, with the active participation [read more...]
A May/June 2011 collection of news articles from Kuensel and Bhutan Observer concerning the LG Elections in Bhutan.
Kuensel Online 28 May, 2011
A controversy that just won’t quit — The row over the mitsi waiver revocation will not end, at least from the affected candidates’ side, even with the election commission of Bhutan (ECB) revealing the final details today. A group of former mangmi and gups, affected by the change in the mitsi rule, are challenging the commission, calling ECB officials irrational and accusing them of rushing the nomination process for the affected candidates.
Kuensel Online 28 May, 2011
Disqualified by a snafu? — he one-year-mitsi waiver revocation has left [read more...]
BHUTAN: REFUGEES-TIME TO STOP THE CHARADE OF MINISTERIAL TALKS- UPDATE NO. 74 by Dr. S Chandrasekharan
BHUTAN: CORONATION OF FIFTH GYALPO- UPDATE NO. 73 by Dr. S Chandrasekharan
BHUTAN: THE REFUGEE ISSUE LINGERS ON: UPDATE NO. 72 by Dr. S Chandrasekharan
BHUTAN: NEW CONSTITUTION FORMALLY ADOPTED: UPDATE NO: 71 by Dr. S Chandrasekharan
BHUTAN: ELECTION RESULTS- A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT: UPDATE NO.70 by Dr. S Chandrasekharan
BHUTAN: ELECTION EVE – UPDATE NO. 69 by Dr. S Chandrasekharan
BHUTAN: NC ELECTIONS- FIRST FORAY INTO DEMOCRACY- UPDATE NO. 68 by Dr. S Chandrasekharan
BHUTAN: LOCAL ELECTIONS CONDUCTED SUCCESSFULLY: UPDATE NO. 92 by Dr. S. Chandrasekharan
BHUTAN: GETTING READY FOR THE FINAL PHASE OF LOCAL ELECTIONS: UPDATE NO. 91 by Dr. S Chandrasekharan
BHUTAN & NEPAL SHOULD STOP BEING INSINCERE TO THE CAUSE OF REFUGEES: UPDATE NO. 90 by Dr. S Chandrasekharan
BHUTAN: LOCAL ELECTIONS AND UPDATE ON REFUGEES: UDATE NO. 89 by Dr. S Chandrasekharan
BHUTAN: GETTING READY FOR THE FINAL PHASE OF LOCAL ELECTIONS: UPDATE NO. 91 by Dr. S Chandrasekharan
Whelpton, John (2009), ‘Nepal and Bhutan in 2008: A New Beginning?’, Asian Survey, 49 (1), 53-58.
Abstract:
In Nepal, the twice-postponed elections for the Constituent Assembly were successfully held in April 2008. The Maoists, who obtained a plurality of seats, took office at the head of a multi-party coalition following the formal abolition of the monarchy. Yet, fundamental issues still remained unresolved, including integrating the guerrilla forces into the national army. In Bhutan, elections for the lower house were won decisively by the party led by Jigme Thinley, and the country’s new Constitution was promulgated.
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