New Delhi: The Himalayan outpost of Bhutan stages its first parliamentary polls this week as the kingdom steers away from royal rule, but officials worry many voters will stay away.
Today’s elections represent a dramatic shift of power in Bhutan orchestrated by former king Jigme Singye Wangchuck to end absolute royal authority for a more ceremonial role.
The monarch abdicated in December 2006 in favour of Oxford-educated son King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck as part of plans to introduce a constitution and hold direct elections—a direct break with the 100-year-old royal rule.
But many Bhutanese view the looming changes with trepidation, as seen in practice polls in April and May which saw about 40% turnout.
Kuensel, the nation’s official newspaper, reported that many potential voters in the capital Thimphu have been reluctant to head back to villages as demanded and had not received or applied for postal ballots.
Some federal government workers from outside Thimphu “and many other organizations in the capital did not receive postal ballots,” Kuensel reported.
According to an online poll of 1,310 people carried out by the weekly, only 40% expect to vote for the upper house National Council of Parliament.
There are nearly 313,000 registered voters in the isolated kingdom of 600,000 sandwiched between India and China.
To quell voter fears of corruption, in particular by the new political class, Election Commission guidelines for prospective candidates include a high-school diploma, income and criminal background checks and bans on offering or accepting money.
The upper house has 20 seats up for direct election with another five to be selected by the new king.
The body is intended as a check to the National Assembly or lower house, which will be directly elected for the first time likely in February or March.
Only 15 of the seats will hold polls on 31 December, five will be held on 29 January and the remaining seats filled sometime after lower house polls are held, the Election Commission said in an email.
Electronic voting will be used for all seats and results are expected shortly after polls close at 4pm.
Candidates for the upper house cannot have political party affiliation.
The 47-seat lower house will see at least two main parties— the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (Virtuous Bhutan Party), an alliance headed by former home minister Jigme Yehse Thinley, and the People’s Democratic Party, led by former prime minister Sangay Ngedup.
Bhutan, about the size of Switzerland, is widely known for a motto coined by the former king as aiming for “gross national happiness” over gross domestic product.