Bhutan calls parliamentary elections for January

Bhutan said Friday it would stage only the fourth general election in its history in January, with the incoming prime minister expected to prioritise happiness on par with the economy.

Wedged between China and India, the tiny Himalayan kingdom is famed for its philosophy of “Gross National Happiness”, which sees the country benchmark itself on citizen wellbeing instead of economic growth.

The “Land of the Thunder Dragon” has been governed for the past five years by Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, a physician known for still conducting surgeries on the weekend as a “de-stresser” from the pressures of office.

Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck appointed a caretaker government on Wednesday after dissolving the lower house of parliament ahead of the vote.

Chief election commissioner Sonam Topgay said in a statement that the next poll would take place on January 9.

A primary contest will first be staged on November 30, with only the top two parties by vote share eligible to compete in the general election.

Bhutan voted for the first time in 2008 after political reforms were instituted soon after the start of the reign of the present king, who remains widely popular among Bhutan’s nearly 800,000 people.

Elections have always been peaceful and orderly in the kingdom.

“Win or lose the nation must win,” Tshering, whose party will have to emerge as one of the top two in the primary if he is to contest January’s polls, told local media in October.