This is to notify the general public that in the ongoing preparations for the Third Local Government Elections (LG), 2021, it has been observed that a number of aspiring candidates are found registered as members of Political Parties and consequently do not qualify to contest as candidates in the upcoming LG elections.
As the incumbent members of the National Council of Bhutan will complete its five-year term of office in May 2023, its next elections will be due in a little over one and half years from now. Therefore, the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) would like to remind the aspiring candidates who wish to contest the National Council Elections to cross-check their party affiliation status with either the concerned political parties or the ECB website.
According to section 206 (d) of the Election Act of the Kingdom of Bhutan, 2008, no person shall be nominated as a candidate for election to fill a seat in the National Council or Local Government if he/she belongs to any political party. However, the same section provides that the disqualification under sub-section (d) shall cease to operate after the lapse of one year from the date of acceptance of the application of resignation or removal from the membership of a political party and such resignation or removal shall be immediately notified by the concerned party office in the print media with a copy submitted to the Election Commission.
Further, under the Electoral Laws, a person shall be qualified to vote and stand as a candidate if the person is registered in the civil registry of the Government pertaining to that constituency and having his/her Gung or Mitsi in that place for not less than one year, before the qualifying date.
Therefore, in order to prevent disqualification, the ECB would like to remind all aspiring candidates intending to contest the fourth National Council Elections 2023 to check political party affiliation on the Election Commission website well in advance.
