The Election Commission of Bhutan is pleased to notify the general public that it received, on 5th of May 2013, the Letters of Intent (LoI) from all 5 registered Political Parties to contest the Primary Round of Elections to the National Assembly 2013, offering choice and option to the voters of the Kingdom in electing the Second Government.
The Election Commission, after comprehensive review and extensive deliberations on the reports submitted on the Financial Statement, List of Candidates, Manifesto, Membership and Party Offices, found the LoI submitted by the following Political Parties to be complete:
- Druk Chirwang Tshogpa;
- Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa;
- Druk Phuensum Tshogpa; and
- People’s Democratic Party.
The Election Commission has the honour to declare the above named Political Parties eligible to contest the Primary Round of Election, with Poll Day on 31st of May 2013. It may be noted that with this, the Druk Chirwang Tshogpa and Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa shall be deemed to have fulfilled the conditions pending at the time of registration as a Political Party.
However, the general public and all concerned are hereby reminded that the eligibility of a Political Party to contest the Primary Round does not replace or substitute the process of scrutiny of Nominations of Candidates for the final decision on the eligibility of the Candidates to contest the General Elections. The Candidate Nomination Papers shall be filed with and scrutinized by the respective Returning Officer, under intimation to the Election Commission, to ensure that the Candidates meet the criteria laid down under the Laws of the Kingdom for a healthy and clean electoral system.
The Election Commission regrets that the Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party could not be accepted as the Party did not have any Candidate-designate for both Demkhongs of Gasa Dzongkhag and has a mere total of only two individuals in that Dzongkhag as its registered members of which one is not even a registered voter. The requirement of a minimum of 47 Candidates-designate one each for every Demkhong had been publicly notified and categorically brought to the notice of the Parties at the time of registration as a Political Party. However, the status of the Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party as a registered Political Party shall remain unchanged.
By Order,
Kunzang Wangdi
Chief Election Commissioner of Bhutan
