The National Council is the upper house of Bhutan’s new bicameral Parliament, which also comprises the Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) and the National Assembly. It is the subordinate house, and cannot author monetary or budget-related bills. Besides creating and reviewing Bhutanese legislation, the National Council acts as the house of review on matters affecting the security, sovereignty, or interests of Bhutan that need to be brought to the notice of the Druk Gyalpo, the Prime Minister and the National Assembly. Twenty members of the first Council were elected in the first ever elections for the Council held on December 31, 2007 and January 29, 2008.

Twenty of the 25 members of the National Council are elected from single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting.

Sources and Further Reading:

Structure of Government

http://countrystudies.us/bhutan/46.htm