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Elections in Bhutan are conducted at national (Parliamentary) and local levels. Suffrage is universal for citizens 18 and over, and under applicable election laws. In national elections, also known as the general elections, political party participation is mainly restricted to the lower house of Parliament, and by extension, to the executive nominated by its majority
Bhutan has a national bicameral parliamentary legislature. The National Assembly of Bhutan is the lower house of Parliament and has 47 members. The maximum number of seats at any time is 55, with each member representing a single-seat constituency. Between 2008 and 2013, 45 seats were won by the ruling Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party (DPT) and 2 were taken by the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP).
The National Council of Bhutan, the upper house of Parliament, has 20 nonpartisan members popularly elected by each dzongkhag and 5 members appointed by the King of Bhutan. The National Council member was first elected on 31 December 2007.[1]
Bhutan also conducts elections for offices in local governments. Dzongkhags (districts), Gewogs (village blocks), and Thromdes (municipalities), all elect members of local administrative governments with varying degrees of authority.
Prior to 2007, Bhutan had a unicameral national parliament known as the Tshogdu. Parliament became bicameral under the Constitution of Kingdom of Bhutan 2008 and with the kingdom's first National Assembly election the same year.
- ^ "National Council elections on December 26". Hindustan Times online. 2007-10-21. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2011-05-16.