By Gopal Sharma
KATHMANDU (Reuters) – Bhutan began voting on Tuesday, the final round of national parliamentary elections to form the Himalayan kingdom's fourth government since the founding of democracy 15 years ago, with post-COVID-19 economic growth the main issue represents.
Bhutan is known for its Gross National Happiness Index (GNH), an economic indicator that takes into account factors ignored when measuring gross domestic product, such as recreation and emotional well-being.
Nestled between China and India, the Buddhist-majority nation ushered in democracy with the first free election in 2008, two years after the former king Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicated in favor of his Oxford-educated son Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
The Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) said polling began at 8 a.m. (0200 GMT) and will end at 4 p.m. Results are expected on Wednesday.
The country of fewer than 800,000 people, about the size of Switzerland, maintains close economic and trade ties with its southern neighbor India, its largest donor and economic partner.
It has no formal diplomatic ties with China but is in talks with Beijing to resolve border disputes – negotiations that are being closely watched by India, which has its own border dispute with China.
But the border issue was not a topic of debate during the election campaign.
Nearly half a million voters are eligible to elect 47 members of Parliament or the National Assembly from 94 candidates fielded by two political parties – the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP), which will win the primary in November won.
“The most important thing the Bhutanese people need is economic growth and their own growth,” said Karma, 49, a voter from Punakha near Thimphu. “Many people are unemployed and even those who have a job receive a salary that is not enough to support the growth of their family.”
Both parties have similar election platforms, promising to stimulate the $3 billion economy. The country relies heavily on aid and tourism, which has failed to recover despite the lifting of pandemic restrictions in the scenic country in September 2022.
They share similar views on harnessing the country's hydropower potential, boosting agricultural growth and minimizing the risks of climate change in the world's first carbon-negative country.
Both the BTP and PDP parties are committed to promoting investment and increasing foreign exchange reserves, which stood at $464.66 million at the end of October, compared to $759.16 million before, according to the central bank a year.
Analysts said their promises should be taken with caution and few believed the parties would follow through on their promises if elected.
“People today tend to be skeptical about promises made by political parties as they have seen many (past) promises remain unfulfilled,” said political analyst Sonam Tshering.
In the three elections since 2008, no party has been elected to head government twice.
Political parties are “also aware that Bhutanese voters are very mature and discreet about who they vote for, so their votes remain secret,” Tshering said.
BTP was founded in 2022 and is led by a former bureaucrat. PDP was founded in 2007 by Tshering Tobgay, who led the government after the 2013 elections.
(Reporting by Gopal Sharma)
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