2023 Bhutanese National Assembly election
National Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Bhutan in 2023 and 2024.[1]
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All 47 seats in the National Assembly 24 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||
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Background
In the 2018 elections, the previously unrepresented Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) won a majority of seats, with their leader Lotay Tshering becoming prime minister.
During the 2018–2023 term, the DNT won four by-elections, retaining the seat of Monggar[2] and winning the seats of Chhoekhor-Tang,[3] Nganglam[4] and Khamdang-Ramjar[5] from Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT), the former two being DPT strongholds that the party had never lost before.
In 2022 and 2023 two new parties were registered to compete in the 2023 elections—Druk Thuendrel Tshogpa and Bhutan Tendrel Party.
In January 2023 Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party (BKP) deregistered itself following years of low activity and difficulty with funding and finding a new party president.[6] The BKP had come fourth in the 2018 elections.
Electoral system
The 47 members of the National Assembly are elected from single-member constituencies. Primary elections are held in which voters cast votes for parties. The top two parties are then able to field candidates in the main round of voting, in which members are elected using first-past-the-post voting.[7]
References
- "Public Notification on preparations for the 4th National Assembly Elections, 2023-24". Election Commission of Bhutan. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- Namgyal, Tshering. "Mongar : Karma Lhamo wins with DNT". Kuensel. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- "Breaking: Dawa wins Chhoekhor-Tang bye-election". Kuensel. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- Wangchuk, Kelzang. "Nganglam: DNT breaks DPT's hold in Nganglam". Kuensel. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- Dolkar, Dechen. "DNT wins Khamdang Ramjar bye-election". Kuensel. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- Dolkar, Dechen. "BKP deregisters with ECB". Kuensel. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- "IPU PARLINE database: BHUTAN (Tshogdu), Electoral system". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 2021-06-05.