PDP wins Bhutan election, Tshering Tobgay set to be PM for second time

Tobgay and his party are known to be friendly to India. 

RAJESH SHARMA, EOI, JAIGAON, JANUARY 9, 2024 : / The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has returned to power in Bhutan for the second time, winning 30 of the 47 seats in the National Assembly in the Himalayan kingdom, with PDP leader Tshering Tobgay set to be the Prime Minister of Bhutan for the second time. 

The rival Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) has won 17 seats. 

According to analysts, this should be good news for India as Tobgay and his party are known to be friendly to India. Tobgay won from Sangbaykha constituency in the Haa district by a margin of over 2,000 votes. 

The detailed results from different constituencies indicated that the PDP has secured the majority of the seats in central Bhutan districts like Thimphu, Paro, Punakha, Wangdue Phodrang, in western Bhutan in Haa and has done exceptionally well in southern Bhutan districts bordering India like Gelephu, Sarpang and Samtse. Both the seats in the national capital of Thimpu --- South Thimphu and North Thimphu --- went to BTP. 

BTP has done well in the districts in eastern Bhutan like Trashigang and Trashiyangtse. It was the country's fourth general election since its transformation from a traditional monarchy to a parliamentary form of government in 2008. 

The Election Commission of Bhutan will make its formal declaration on Wednesday. Candidates on Tuesday's ballot represented only the PDP of former Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and the BTP led by former civil servant Pema Chewang. The primary round of elections in November eliminated three other parties, including the ruling center-left Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa. 

Elections in Bhutan are held in two stages, with the top two parties in the primary round contesting in the final round. The result of the election is important for both India and China, , with both the neighbours vying for influence in the landlocked nation of around 800,000 people. 

The severe economic crisis played a major role in campaigning. According to the World Bank, Bhutan's economy grew at a rate of 1.7 per cent over the past five years. With unemployment a chronic problem, an exodus of young people in search of higher education and jobs abroad is undermining the country's economic potential. 

In a bid to overcome the economic challenges, Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck announced in December plans for a megacity in Gelephu, a town on the border with the northeastern Indian state of Assam, that will have zero-carbon industries with foreign investment. 

King Wangchuk said the city-building would be mindful of Bhutanese culture and tradition and will blend with the Himalayan ecosystem. He met with top Indian business leaders who are expected to invest in the project. 

Construction will take place in a specially administered zone in Bhutan that has investment-friendly laws. (with inputs from an AP report from Thimphu)