The Bhutanese Parliament elected on the first of its democratic history

New Delhi, Mar 24, 2008. - The Bhutanese went to the polls today to endorse the historic transition to democracy of small, isolated Himalayan kingdom and choose, for the first time, their representatives in the House after a century of absolute monarchy .
"Schools are now closed. I am proud to say that everything has gone peacefully. And now it's time to start counting, "he told Efe the president of the Electoral Commission, Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, following the vote at 17.00 local (11.00 GMT).
The election should go the 47 deputies who make up the Lower House of Parliament and shall in turn appoint a prime minister, who will inaugurate the institutional honor the democratic era in this Himalayan country of just 670,000 inhabitants, of whom 318,000 eligible to vote.
The authorities declared a holiday for the Bhutanese enjoy the election day, and from early in the morning monks and citizens dressed in traditional costumes of the country showed their preferences at the polls.
Voters had to choose one of the two parties who attend the elections, the Popular Democratic Party (BDP) and the Virtuoso Party of Bhutan (DPT), after voting, on December 31, their representatives in the Senate .
"Although we have surveys, we expect to win and to ensure a stable government not a day but for the next 100 years. Democracy allows people to participate in the political process and decide what interests you most, "he told Efe Virtuoso Party spokesman, Palden Tsering.
The Bhutanese democratic inexperience made ​​in April 2007 the government organized a massive mock election in which candidates were high school students and parties representing fictitious names and programs imaginary dragon.
These elections, which international observers counted 42, are the culmination of a transition "happy" advocated by King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who, after giving his approval to a proposed constitution, abdicated in December 2006 at his son Jigme Khesar .
This, a 26 year old Oxford-educated, has kept a firm hand on the path of reforms and has committed to transform the country into a parliamentary monarchy after a century of absolutism.
After the formation of new government, the king will keep his role as head of state and, under the Constitution, can only be overthrown by a vote of at least two thirds of the camera.
"The democratization of the country of the king's decision. In fact, many of the people involved in the process because they have faith in the king. Democracy is their wish, "Tsering acknowledged.
The pace of change has frightened the inhabitants of the country, known as the last Shangri-La, who lived until recently in a medieval had no roads, telephones or currency until the 1960s.
During his reign, King Wangchuk embarked on rapid modernization that led to the legalization of television and the Internet (1999) and, later, freedom of the press, partly to promote democratic culture.
But Bhutan's worldwide popularity comes from the institutionalization of Gross National Happiness, a peculiar GDP consistent in promoting the traditions and the protection of the environment and the truth instead of worrying about material goods.
Its policy has borne fruit among the Bhutanese, which, despite its precarious financial situation, are according to a study of Britain's University of Leicester's eighth happiest country in the world, ahead of the United States.
"Hopefully with the Bhutanese democracy we are even happier. It should be because the turnout was above 60 percent, "said Wangdi.
His department now is preparing for another challenge, the counting of votes, which will be publicly ("everyone can see it," said Wangdi) and yield a definitive result tomorrow morning.
Full of challenges, this newborn democracy yet shares features of other more veterans, as the inevitable stories of election day: the most talked the starred Tshewang Dema, a 65 year old woman who walked 600 kilometers for fourteen days to place your ballot.
"I get dizzy in cars, and not wanting to lose my vote, I walked," Dema said the newspaper "Bhutan Times."

Bhutan "learns" to be democratic with a mock election

New Delhi, April 21, 2007. - In the midst of transition to democracy, everything is set in Bhutan to hold a massive mock election where candidates are high school students, representing fictitious parties with imaginary programs.
The "elections" will begin today in the 47 districts ("dzongda") of the country, with 869 voting tables, a maximum of 1,000 voters per table and some 4,000 officers cleaning process before the actual elections, scheduled for next year.
"Everything is ready for simulation, with four games invented and high school students as candidates," he said in Thimpu (the capital) the head of the Election Commission of Bhutan, Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, told the newspaper "Kuensel".
Moreover, parties-called Blue Thunder Dragon, Red, Green and Yellow-have programs and manifestos fictitious government on matters of industry or environment.
"The two parties with most votes will advance to the second round," the 28th of May, said Wangdi.
The 2008 election will be the first democratic small, isolated country, which, while enjoying a spectacular economic growth (14 percent in 2006), remains one of the most isolated of the world, so much so that even tourism is subject to government monopoly.
The year 2008 also mean the transition from absolute monarchy, in force since 1953, a parliamentary democracy, but so far there are only two games, real-pending registrations.
But first, the Bhutanese in a referendum to ratify a draft constitution of 34 points which was approved in 2004.
"We are excited with democracy knocking at our door," said a shopkeeper in the border town of Samdrup Jongkhar with India, told IANS India agency.
The transition from the realm of the Himalayan foothills from absolute monarchy began in 2001 when the former king, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, ceded his powers of daily management of the affairs of government to a ministerial council.
And in December last year, that monarch, weary of power, abdicated the throne in favor of his son, Jigme Khesar, a 26 year old educated at Oxford (UK) has continued with the process.
"The King encourages people to participate in elections and is personally following the first democratic process," Wangdi said.
According to the head of the electoral commission, officials have established their offices in the districts and election officials have gone to their respective units, while the security staff and survey teams are supervised by their respective coordinators.
Since this is a new experience in the country, accustomed to absolute monarchy, officials have had to delimit constituencies, putting good care that the polls are accessible even in the worst places reported.
The aim is that all Bhutanese asked to vote (about 400,000) to do so by the thundering dragon of your favorite color without that are "disturbed" their daily activities.
"We hope that vote a large number of people, because for them it is important to realize what their true role in the elections," said a confident Wangdi.
But the closest thing that exists in Bhutan to a survey pre-election poll a primary virtual newspaper "Kuensel" shows that only 43 percent of respondents said they participate in the drill.
"We do not know if the policy is good for Bhutan. We still have faith in the monarchy, "he told IANS retired official of a confused 65, P. Dendup.
Successful participation or indifference of the population, at the end of the simulation in Bhutan will be able to count a person once, when I was a school student, was elected by his countrymen to be "prime minister".