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Bhutanese National Assembly election
January 9, 2024
In the 2018 elections the previously unrepresented Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) won a majority of seats, with their leader Lotay Tshering becoming prime minister.
During the 2018–2023 term the DNT won four by-elections, retaining the seat of Monggar and winning the seats of Chhoekhor-Tang, Nganglam and Khamdang-Ramjar from Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT), the former two being DPT strongholds that the party had never lost before.
In 2022 and 2023 two new parties were registered to compete in the 2023 elections—Druk Thuendrel Tshogpa and Bhutan Tendrel Party.
In January 2023 the Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party (BKP) deregistered itself following years of low activity and difficulty with funding and finding a new party president. The BKP had come fourth in the 2018 elections.
Results
As the top two finishers in the primary round, the People’s Democratic Party and Bhutan Tendrel Party advanced to the second round, where they contested for the 47 National Assembly seats. For the first time since the initial elections for the chamber in 2008, the DPT failed to make it past the primary round, and both incumbent parliamentary parties failed to return to the chamber. Only two women were elected, the lowest number since the initial elections in 2008.
Sources and further reading:
Tshering Tobgay set to return as Bhutan PM after liberal PDP wins elections, Al Jazeera 10.01.24
Bhutan’s Elections Are a Bright Spot in South Asia
https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/01/10/bhutan-elections-south-asia-democracy/
