Bhutan holds mock elections
Ap, Guwahati
The isolated kingdom of Bhutan took another step toward democracy Monday as voters lined up for the final round of a mock parliamentary election, officials said. The vote is part of a "dress rehearsal" for a 2008 election in Bhutan, part of a remarkable transformation of the 100-year-old monarchy that is changing the world's last Buddhist kingdom into a democracy. "Observers from the UN, India and Denmark are monitoring the elections and we expect this final phase of the mock polls to pass off without a hitch," said Kunzang Wangdi, Bhutan's Chief Election Commissioner. Last year, Bhutan's king declared his intention to step down in 2008, allowing national elections and parliamentary democracy. Under the new plan, which becomes effective after next year's vote, the king would become head of state and parliament would have the power to impeach him by a two-thirds vote. The mock election is between the Druk Yellow party, which promises the "preservation of Bhutan's culture and tradition," and the Druk Red party, which would push "industry-led development." Only 51 percent of the registered voters voted during the mock election's first round of polling on April 21, but authorities hoped Monday's turnout would be larger. Officials said they expected close to 300,000 registered voters to participate out of a population estimated between 700,000 and 2.2 million. Nepal-based separatists have threatened to carry out bomb attacks in Bhutan during Monday's mock voting, and Bhutanese authorities have deployed soldiers to maintain calm.
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Bhutanese women stand outside a polling station during the final round of mock voting in Pashakha village in the Phuentsholing constituency yesterday. Bhutan held a second "mock election" as a final dress rehearsal for the isolated Himalayan kingdom's transition to democracy next year after a century of royal rule. PHOTO: AFP |
