Registration of Bhutan Kuen-Ngyam Party at the Election Commission (EC) on October 30 challenged existence of bi-party democracy in Bhutan.
The next party to get official registration at EC is Druk Chirwang Tshogpa.
According to its President Lily Wangchuck, the party obtained registration after fulfilling all formalities on November 1.
Lily, who is currently working as Director of the Bhutan Media Foundation, is yet to tender her resignation to contest for the general elections next year.
The only two parties awaiting registration at the Election Commission are Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa and Druk Mitsher Tshogpa.
If both the parties awaiting registration qualify, altogether six parties will contest for the country’s second parliamentary elections.
The projection of EC indicates that out of 399,073 eligible votes, almost 100,000 Bhutanese will cast their votes for parliamentary elections for the first time next year.
Multi party system arriving finally – good sign of democracy. Why do all the party carry dzongkha names? My vote will go the one that has an English name.
Finally, fruits of our effort that we raised during 1990 is being enjoyed by people living inside Bhutan are enjoying.May be this is a good sign towards democracy.maybe after a decade or more country will get “Democracy”. Not a kind of democracy now in Bhutan.
I am not saying that this democracy is a fake democracy.This is only one step towards democracy.Any name can be given to any party.It really doesn’t matter by name.Atleast this party will talk against the government system and policies.
“Dynasty is Dynamic”
Good luck.
It is definitely a positively sign of democratic maturity in Bhutan and good sign of people becoming aware and stronger in terms of expressing their rights as individuals. But we have a long way to go in terms of seeing how many of the parties will get final approval for going to the polls. When there is lack of political awareness people remain in the darkness. This was the fate of the Bhutanese for many centuries of deliberately kept isolationism.
It is good to see that the last Shangrila is able to face the political sun light. The time of change is very fast gripping Bhutan and it is good to see that Bhutanese are beginning to recognize the importance of individual freedom expressed in the emergence of new and more political parties. I agree with RP that there needs to be diversity of names and not just in the trend of “One Nation, One People” of suppressive mentality. My hope is that younger generation including the left out groups like women take more political responsibility meaningfully to build the future of Bhutan.
Please bring democracy within refugee community.Because poor people are suffering in the camps for the last 20 years and clever and having rich back ground are enjoying the refugee facilities.
Refugee from Bhutan are only political refugee some of them are haves and some of them are have not. They were not refugee by their birth.so it may not be wise keep saying rich are enjoying facilities.The word “Refugee” it self is the greatest pain for those refugee.