Asia / 4 June 2013A
chronology of key events: 1907 - Ugyen Wangchuck is chosen as
hereditary ruler. 1910 - Treaty signed with British giving them control
over
Bhutan…
The outcome of the vote is expected to be much closer than in 2008
Voters
in Bhutan are taking part in elections on Friday to determine which two
out of four parties will go on to participate in the second and
decisive stage of the vote on 13 July.
The winner of the July vote will form the government and the runner-up will become the opposition.
The election is the second to be held in Bhutan since the country became a constitutional monarchy in 2008.
There are 381,790 registered voters out of a total population of some 750,000.
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Elections in Bhutan 2013
- Most people still wear traditional dress and will do so when they vote
- Polls opens at 0900 (local time) and close at 1700 (local time)
- There are 850 polling stations spread across 47 constituencies in 20 districts
- There are 381,790 registered voters
- Security expected to be tight in the south near the border with insurgency-hit north-eastern India
The last election was held in
March 2008, when Bhutan became a constitutional monarchy and the king
relinquished his absolute powers.
This time around four parties are competing to enter
parliament, compared to only two in 2008. It is the first time that an
election has been staggered.
The two parties that win the fewest votes on Friday will be eliminated from the election.
Correspondents say that the government will have to fight a
tough campaign if it is to repeat its landslide win in the last vote.
They say there is a degree of consensus about the key issues
facing the country: To strengthen the economy, to narrow the income gap
between rich and poor, to improve education and healthcare and to invest
in roads and transport infrastructure.
The government has been damaged by the recent conviction of two ministers in a land scam.
The two new parties in the contest, the Druk Nymrub Tshogpa (DNT) and Druck Chirwang Tshogpa (DCT) are both led by women.
They will competing against the former ruling party, the Druk
Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP), the
former opposition.
Correspondents say that the expectation is that the DPT led
by Jigme Thinley will return to power with a reduced majority and with
him remaining as prime minister.
In the last election the opposition could win only two out of the 47 seats up for grabs.
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