Bhutanese local government elections, 2011
Encyclopedia
The Bhutanese local government elections of 2011 were originally slated for 2008, but were delayed until 2011. Elections began on January 20, 2011, however polls opened in only 3 of 20 districts
– Thimphu
, Chukha District (Phuentsholing
), and Samdrup Jongkhar – as part of a staggered election schedule. Polls closed June 27, 2011. Ahead of elections, 1,042 chiwogs, the basis of Bhutan's single-constituency electoral scheme, were slated to elect the leadership of Dzongkhag
, Gewog
, and Thromde
governments.
Candidates for local elections in Bhutan
must not belong to any political party, must not be registered clergy, and must meet the residency, character, and other requirements of Bhutanese election laws. Campaigns for local elections were not publicly funded, and candidates were limited to a campaign budget of Nu.50,000 (about USD 1,130). During this election cycle, Bhutan implemented a forum-style campaigns for the first time, reportedly with success. Previously, candidates campaigned at gatherings that each called individually.
On July 8, 2011, the Election Commission released detailed election results indicating 194,952 of 347,938 registered voters had cast ballots. Postal ballots constituted just over 19,000 of those eligible, however only some 16,000 were validly returned. The Commission reported that 165 female candidates
ran among a total of 2,185 eligible, (7.5%); 76 women were among the 1,102 candidates elected to office (7%). One woman was elected gup, 12 were elected mangmi, 61 were elected gewog
tshogpa, and 2 as thromde
tshogpa.
According to Bhutanese media, local elections were particularly marked by voter apathy and distrust, leading to lackluster campaign gatherings and poor turnout during elections.
tshogpa, 8 for dzongkhag
thromde thuemi, and 1 for thromde tshogpa.
As a further complication, gup polls in Goenshari Gewog
(Punakha
) and tshogpa polls in Sherabling Chiwog of Chhudzom Gewog
(Sarpang
) resulted in equal votes among rival candidates.
The Election Commission also disclosed on July 8, 2011, that it had discovered seven elected candidates were in fact ineligible because they did not meet the age requirement (between 25 and 65). As a result, the Commission quashed the elections for gup of Bjacho Gewog
(Chhukha), for tshogpa of Nyechhu Shar-ri Chiwog in Tsento Gewog
(Paro
), Gyalgong Chiwog in Silambi Gewog
(Mongar
), Langchhenphug Chiwog in Langchenphu Gewog
(Samdrup Jongkhar), Ramtogtog_Tsangrina Chiwog in Chang Gewog
(Thimphu
), Lemphang Chiwog in Bidung Gewog
(Trashigang), and Chaling Chiwog in Shongphu Gewog
(Trashigang).
The Commission pronounced penalties against elections personnel in nine districts
due to their negligence in failing to follow guidelines and detect candidate ineligibility. It also announced that further elections would be held in the near future to address quashed results, ties, and remaining vacancies. The August 12 reelection in Goenshari was announced on August 1; campaigning recommenced until August 10.
Reelections in Goenshari Gewog
were conducted August 12, 2011, from 09:00 until 17:00. Ahead of polling, Commission personnel reported high expectations. The democratic process again performed: despite the discouraging disqualifications, long journeys to polling stations, and decreased voter turnout in Goenshari from 382 to 323, the rerun proved hotly contested and was won by Kinley Dorji by a narrow 16 votes.
is the latest legislation
on local governments, establishing Dzongkhag
s as districts
for national representation, each with their own locally-governing counsels; Gewog
s as divisions of Dzongkhags, themselves with locally-governing counsels; and Thromde
s as municipal governments. It also provides that all governments be elected by single-member constituencies, called chiwogs. The members of each level of local government – Dzongkhag
, Gewog
, and Thromde
– must meet requirements and follow procedures defined by the Constitution
, election laws
, and rules of the Election Commission. While candidates for local elections need not possess a formal university degree, they must be functionally literate and adequately skilled. Notably, candidates must be natural-born citizens born of two Bhutanese parents, pass a functional literacy and skills test, obtain a security clearance, make extensive personal, financial, and professional disclosures, and formally prove they have no current party affiliation. Those with former affiliations must deregister. As part of local elections, candidates also choose a symbol and appear on a list published by the Returning Officer.
Between 2008 and 2011, delayed and staggered elections for local level government has resulted in an inability to form quora on the Dzongkhag
, Gewog
, and Thromde
levels. Although elections were originally slated for 2008, various participatory hurdles, demarcation problems, and legal questions posed by the Election Commission regarding the constitutionality of laws on local governments produced significant delays. Although demarcation is a basic requisite for the determination of electoral rolls, the task presented particular difficulty for the government.
Between 2008 and 2011, recruitment and retention of Tshogpas (local government council members) and Thrompons (mayors) remained a serious issue. Obstacles range from lack of interest and economic incentives to difficulty in compliance and obtaining accreditation under existing election laws. The functional literacy and skills test alone left many constituencies without the minimum of two candidates, leading to lengthy delay of the local government elections of 2011, originally slated for 2008. Women
elected to office remained relatively few (14% before local elections according to the UNHCR), more than half of voters in initial local government elections were women. In initial local-level voting in 2011, voter turnout was about 50%.
In contrast many lay monks and former lay monks, facing constitutional
legal hurdles in voting as well as registering and certifying as candidates, have actively sought to participate in elections and government since democratization.
On March 16, 2011, the Election Commission conducted the second round of the skills test to determine those eligible for the local government elections. Out of 1,502 registrants, 1,215 took the test and 1,135 passed, leaving a pass rate of 93%. Those who passed were certified to run for local offices.
Districts of Bhutan
Bhutan comprises twenty districts .-Districts:-District Statistics:The results of the 2005 census appear below:...
– Thimphu
Thimphu District
Thimphu District is a dzongkhag of Bhutan. Thimphu is also the capital of Bhutan and the largest city in the whole kingdom.-Languages:...
, Chukha District (Phuentsholing
Phuentsholing Gewog
Phuentsholing Gewog is a gewog of Chukha District, Bhutan. The gewog has an area of 139.8 square kilometres and contains 19 villages. Phuentsholing Gewog is part of Phuentsholing Dungkhag, along with Dala and Logchina Gewogs....
), and Samdrup Jongkhar – as part of a staggered election schedule. Polls closed June 27, 2011. Ahead of elections, 1,042 chiwogs, the basis of Bhutan's single-constituency electoral scheme, were slated to elect the leadership of Dzongkhag
Dzongkhag
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 , which themselves comprise two or more gewogs...
, Gewog
Gewog
A gewog, or geog refers to a group of villages in Bhutan. Gewogs form a geographic administrative unit below dzongkhag districts , and above thromde municipalities. Bhutan comprises 205 gewogs, which average 230 km² in area...
, and Thromde
Thromde
A thromde is a third-level administrative division in Bhutan. The legal administrative status of thromdes was most recently codified under the Local Government Act of 2009, and the role of thromdes in elections in Bhutan was defined in the Election Act of 2008.-Thromde administration:Thromde...
governments.
Candidates for local elections in Bhutan
Elections in Bhutan
Elections in Bhutan are conducted at national and local levels. Suffrage is universal for citizens 18 and over, and under applicable election laws...
must not belong to any political party, must not be registered clergy, and must meet the residency, character, and other requirements of Bhutanese election laws. Campaigns for local elections were not publicly funded, and candidates were limited to a campaign budget of Nu.50,000 (about USD 1,130). During this election cycle, Bhutan implemented a forum-style campaigns for the first time, reportedly with success. Previously, candidates campaigned at gatherings that each called individually.
Results
On June 28, 2011, the Election Commission announced the preliminary results of the local government elections. It reported a voter turnout of 56%, electing 1,104 representatives at various levels from among 2,185 candidates. The initial report disclosed "a few" cases of mismatched voter rolls and voter identification cards, and stated that in 135 of these cases, the problems were rectified. It also mentioned that some votes had been improperly cast in voters' former domiciles and were rejected. The report further described 4 candidate disqualifications under the election laws, as well as a total of 16 election disputes, of which 3 were appealed to the Election Commission. Overall, elections were reported to have gone smoothly, and several international observers were allowed access.On July 8, 2011, the Election Commission released detailed election results indicating 194,952 of 347,938 registered voters had cast ballots. Postal ballots constituted just over 19,000 of those eligible, however only some 16,000 were validly returned. The Commission reported that 165 female candidates
Women in Bhutan
Although officially the government of Bhutan has encouraged greater participation by the women in Bhutan in political and administrative life, male members of the traditional aristocracy dominate the social system. Economic development has increased opportunities for women to participate in fields...
ran among a total of 2,185 eligible, (7.5%); 76 women were among the 1,102 candidates elected to office (7%). One woman was elected gup, 12 were elected mangmi, 61 were elected gewog
Gewog
A gewog, or geog refers to a group of villages in Bhutan. Gewogs form a geographic administrative unit below dzongkhag districts , and above thromde municipalities. Bhutan comprises 205 gewogs, which average 230 km² in area...
tshogpa, and 2 as thromde
Thromde
A thromde is a third-level administrative division in Bhutan. The legal administrative status of thromdes was most recently codified under the Local Government Act of 2009, and the role of thromdes in elections in Bhutan was defined in the Election Act of 2008.-Thromde administration:Thromde...
tshogpa.
According to Bhutanese media, local elections were particularly marked by voter apathy and distrust, leading to lackluster campaign gatherings and poor turnout during elections.
Delayed results
Due to a lack of candidates contesting seats, a total of 373 vacancies remained after local government elections. These vacancies included 3 for gup, 1 for mangmi, 360 for gewogGewog
A gewog, or geog refers to a group of villages in Bhutan. Gewogs form a geographic administrative unit below dzongkhag districts , and above thromde municipalities. Bhutan comprises 205 gewogs, which average 230 km² in area...
tshogpa, 8 for dzongkhag
Dzongkhag
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 , which themselves comprise two or more gewogs...
thromde thuemi, and 1 for thromde tshogpa.
As a further complication, gup polls in Goenshari Gewog
Goenshari Gewog
Goenshari Gewog is a gewog of Punakha District, Bhutan....
(Punakha
Punakha District
Punakha District is one of the 20 dzongkhags comprising Bhutan. It is bordered by Thimphu, Gasa, and Wangdue Phodrang Districts...
) and tshogpa polls in Sherabling Chiwog of Chhudzom Gewog
Chhudzom Gewog
Chhudzom Gewog is a gewog of Sarpang District, Bhutan....
(Sarpang
Sarpang District
Sarpang District is one of the 20 dzongkhags comprising Bhutan.-Languages:...
) resulted in equal votes among rival candidates.
The Election Commission also disclosed on July 8, 2011, that it had discovered seven elected candidates were in fact ineligible because they did not meet the age requirement (between 25 and 65). As a result, the Commission quashed the elections for gup of Bjacho Gewog
Bjacho Gewog
Bjacho Gewog , also spelled Bjagchhog, is a gewog of Chukha District, Bhutan. The gewog has an area of 140 square kilometres and contains 4 villages; Bjachho, Tsimakha, Mebesa and Wangkha....
(Chhukha), for tshogpa of Nyechhu Shar-ri Chiwog in Tsento Gewog
Tsento Gewog
Tsento Gewog is a gewog of Paro District, Bhutan. In 2002, the gewog had an area of 575.1 square kilometres and contained 14 villages and 332 households....
(Paro
Paro District
Paro District is the name of a district , valley, river and town in Bhutan. It is one of the most historic valleys in Bhutan. Both trade goods and invading Tibetans came over the pass at the head of the valley, giving Paro the closest cultural connection with Tibet of any Bhutanese district...
), Gyalgong Chiwog in Silambi Gewog
Silambi Gewog
Silambi Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
(Mongar
Mongar District
Mongar District is one of the 20 dzongkhags comprising Bhutan. Mongar is the fastest-developing dzongkhag in eastern Bhutan. A regional hospital has been constructed and the region is bustling with many economic activities. Mongar is noted for its lemon grass, a plant that can be used to produce...
), Langchhenphug Chiwog in Langchenphu Gewog
Langchenphu Gewog
Langchenphu Gewog is a gewog of Samdrup Jongkhar District, Bhutan....
(Samdrup Jongkhar), Ramtogtog_Tsangrina Chiwog in Chang Gewog
Chang Gewog
Chang Gewog is a gewog of Thimphu District, Bhutan....
(Thimphu
Thimphu District
Thimphu District is a dzongkhag of Bhutan. Thimphu is also the capital of Bhutan and the largest city in the whole kingdom.-Languages:...
), Lemphang Chiwog in Bidung Gewog
Bidung Gewog
Bidung Gewog is a gewog of Trashigang District, Bhutan....
(Trashigang), and Chaling Chiwog in Shongphu Gewog
Shongphu Gewog
Shongphoog Gewog , also spelled Shongphu is a gewog of Trashigang District, Bhutan....
(Trashigang).
The Commission pronounced penalties against elections personnel in nine districts
Districts of Bhutan
Bhutan comprises twenty districts .-Districts:-District Statistics:The results of the 2005 census appear below:...
due to their negligence in failing to follow guidelines and detect candidate ineligibility. It also announced that further elections would be held in the near future to address quashed results, ties, and remaining vacancies. The August 12 reelection in Goenshari was announced on August 1; campaigning recommenced until August 10.
Reelections in Goenshari Gewog
Goenshari Gewog
Goenshari Gewog is a gewog of Punakha District, Bhutan....
were conducted August 12, 2011, from 09:00 until 17:00. Ahead of polling, Commission personnel reported high expectations. The democratic process again performed: despite the discouraging disqualifications, long journeys to polling stations, and decreased voter turnout in Goenshari from 382 to 323, the rerun proved hotly contested and was won by Kinley Dorji by a narrow 16 votes.
Background
The Local Government Act of Bhutan 2009Local Government Act of Bhutan 2009
The Local Government Act of Bhutan was enacted on September 11, 2009, by parliament of Bhutan in order to further implement its program of decentralization and devolution of power and authority.Local Gov't Act 2008: Preamble It is the most recent reform of the law on Bhutan's administrative...
is the latest legislation
Bhutanese legislation
Bhutanese legislation is created by the bicameral Parliament of Bhutan. Either the upper house National Council, the lower house National Assembly, or the Attorney General may author bills to be passed as acts, with the exception of money and financial bills, which are the sole purview of the...
on local governments, establishing Dzongkhag
Dzongkhag
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 , which themselves comprise two or more gewogs...
s as districts
Districts of Bhutan
Bhutan comprises twenty districts .-Districts:-District Statistics:The results of the 2005 census appear below:...
for national representation, each with their own locally-governing counsels; Gewog
Gewog
A gewog, or geog refers to a group of villages in Bhutan. Gewogs form a geographic administrative unit below dzongkhag districts , and above thromde municipalities. Bhutan comprises 205 gewogs, which average 230 km² in area...
s as divisions of Dzongkhags, themselves with locally-governing counsels; and Thromde
Thromde
A thromde is a third-level administrative division in Bhutan. The legal administrative status of thromdes was most recently codified under the Local Government Act of 2009, and the role of thromdes in elections in Bhutan was defined in the Election Act of 2008.-Thromde administration:Thromde...
s as municipal governments. It also provides that all governments be elected by single-member constituencies, called chiwogs. The members of each level of local government – Dzongkhag
Dzongkhag
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 , which themselves comprise two or more gewogs...
, Gewog
Gewog
A gewog, or geog refers to a group of villages in Bhutan. Gewogs form a geographic administrative unit below dzongkhag districts , and above thromde municipalities. Bhutan comprises 205 gewogs, which average 230 km² in area...
, and Thromde
Thromde
A thromde is a third-level administrative division in Bhutan. The legal administrative status of thromdes was most recently codified under the Local Government Act of 2009, and the role of thromdes in elections in Bhutan was defined in the Election Act of 2008.-Thromde administration:Thromde...
– must meet requirements and follow procedures defined by the Constitution
Constitution of Bhutan
The Constitution of Bhutan was enacted July 18, 2008 by the Royal Government. The Constitution was thoroughly planned by several government officers and agencies over a period of almost seven years amid increasing democratic reforms in Bhutan...
, election laws
Elections in Bhutan
Elections in Bhutan are conducted at national and local levels. Suffrage is universal for citizens 18 and over, and under applicable election laws...
, and rules of the Election Commission. While candidates for local elections need not possess a formal university degree, they must be functionally literate and adequately skilled. Notably, candidates must be natural-born citizens born of two Bhutanese parents, pass a functional literacy and skills test, obtain a security clearance, make extensive personal, financial, and professional disclosures, and formally prove they have no current party affiliation. Those with former affiliations must deregister. As part of local elections, candidates also choose a symbol and appear on a list published by the Returning Officer.
Between 2008 and 2011, delayed and staggered elections for local level government has resulted in an inability to form quora on the Dzongkhag
Dzongkhag
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 , which themselves comprise two or more gewogs...
, Gewog
Gewog
A gewog, or geog refers to a group of villages in Bhutan. Gewogs form a geographic administrative unit below dzongkhag districts , and above thromde municipalities. Bhutan comprises 205 gewogs, which average 230 km² in area...
, and Thromde
Thromde
A thromde is a third-level administrative division in Bhutan. The legal administrative status of thromdes was most recently codified under the Local Government Act of 2009, and the role of thromdes in elections in Bhutan was defined in the Election Act of 2008.-Thromde administration:Thromde...
levels. Although elections were originally slated for 2008, various participatory hurdles, demarcation problems, and legal questions posed by the Election Commission regarding the constitutionality of laws on local governments produced significant delays. Although demarcation is a basic requisite for the determination of electoral rolls, the task presented particular difficulty for the government.
Between 2008 and 2011, recruitment and retention of Tshogpas (local government council members) and Thrompons (mayors) remained a serious issue. Obstacles range from lack of interest and economic incentives to difficulty in compliance and obtaining accreditation under existing election laws. The functional literacy and skills test alone left many constituencies without the minimum of two candidates, leading to lengthy delay of the local government elections of 2011, originally slated for 2008. Women
Women in Bhutan
Although officially the government of Bhutan has encouraged greater participation by the women in Bhutan in political and administrative life, male members of the traditional aristocracy dominate the social system. Economic development has increased opportunities for women to participate in fields...
elected to office remained relatively few (14% before local elections according to the UNHCR), more than half of voters in initial local government elections were women. In initial local-level voting in 2011, voter turnout was about 50%.
In contrast many lay monks and former lay monks, facing constitutional
Constitution of Bhutan
The Constitution of Bhutan was enacted July 18, 2008 by the Royal Government. The Constitution was thoroughly planned by several government officers and agencies over a period of almost seven years amid increasing democratic reforms in Bhutan...
legal hurdles in voting as well as registering and certifying as candidates, have actively sought to participate in elections and government since democratization.
On March 16, 2011, the Election Commission conducted the second round of the skills test to determine those eligible for the local government elections. Out of 1,502 registrants, 1,215 took the test and 1,135 passed, leaving a pass rate of 93%. Those who passed were certified to run for local offices.