Bhutan gears up for historic general election (Channel NewsAsia)
THIMPHU, Bhutan : Bhutan plans to seal off its borden with northern India this weekend as a precaution ahead of Monday’s historic general election.

Excitement, anxiety as Bhutan prepares for first big polls (Channel NewsAsia)
THIMPHU: As the tiny Himalayan state of Bhutan readies for its first major polls next week, many people are still apprehensive of the changes that the country’s shift to democracy will bring.

Bhutanese set for first polls (Gulf Daily News)
THIMPHU: The command came from the king, as commands normally do in a nation where royalty has ruled for a century.

Bhutanese become reluctant voters (UPI)
Citizens of Bhutan are reluctantly preparing to vote in their first national election under orders from a king who prefers constitutional monarchy.

Tears, prayers as Bhutan’s Tibet refugees watch helplessly (Gulf Times)
THIMPHU: Tibetan refugees living in Bhutan say they are watching the upheaval in their Himalayan homeland nervously but are fearful of speaking out.

Exiles ask Bhutan king to defer Monday polls (IANS via Yahoo! India News)
Kathmandu, March 22 (IANS) As the secluded Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan gears up to hold its first general election Monday, Bhutanese exiles in Nepal, who form nearly a sixth of the population and are barred from voting or contesting, are urging the king of Bhutan to dissolve the government and defer the polls.

Polls create rifts in Bhutan as king’s absolute rule ends (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Bhutan’s shift from absolute monarchy to the world’s newest democracy is creating unprecedented rifts as people row over which party to vote for in next week’s elections, observers say.

Exiles ask Bhutan king to defer Monday polls (New Kerala)
By Sudeshna Sarkar, Kathmandu, March 22 : As the secluded Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan gears up to hold its first general election Monday, Bhutanese exiles in Nepal, who form nearly a sixth of the population and are barred from voting or contesting, are urging the king of Bhutan to dissolve the government and defer the polls.

Preparations for Bhutan election in full swing (New Kerala)
Thimphu, Mar 21: Preparations for the first general elections in Bhutan are on in full swing. Voting machines have been checked and sealed and loaded onto mules.

The Future Bhutan (Sin Chew Jit Poh)
QUEUE FOR YOUR RIGHTS: Bhutanese people show their documents as they line up outside a polling station during the final round of mock voting. FATHER AND SON: Jigme Singye Wangchuck (R), former king of Bhutan, his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck (L), the new king.

Election Day is upon us
22 March, 2008 - Bhutan is set to go to polls on Monday to elect 47 of 94 candidates to the National Assembly and determine whether the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa or the People’s Democratic Party forms the country’s first elected government.

Will the postal ballot be pivotal?
22 March, 2008 - About 45 percent of the 36,313 registered postal voters will have to go to their respective polling stations to vote if they want to make a difference in National Assembly elections on March 24.

Sangay Ngedup most likely a shoo-in in Kabji-Talo

PDP’s Sangay Ngedup and DPT’s Tshering Penjor

NA ELECTIONS - PUNAKHA 22 March, 2008 - The People’s Democratic Party must win in Kabji-Talo constituency from Punakha. This is, by and large, the general feeling in the constituency, especially among party’s supporters and also many observers.

Toss-up between youth/age in Nubi-Tangsibji

DPT’s Nidup Zangpo and and PDP’s Kaentsho Sampai Dendup

NA ELECTIONS : TRONGSA 22 March, 2008 - If there is one constituency where the two candidates contesting for a seat in the National Assembly share an excellent rapport, it is in Nubi-Tangsibji of Trongsa dzongkhag.

WHO?
22 March, 2008 - Modern political science questions whether average citizens anywhere in the world have sufficient political information to cast meaningful votes. The general consensus is that only a handful of voters are sophisticated enough to truly understand politics and to base their votes on sound political analysis.

Bankers face off in water politics

DPT’s Chencho Dorji and PDP’s Tsencho Dorji

NA ELECTIONS - PARO 22 March, 2008 - They both have the same names, worked as bankers, were in the same college, worked in the same city of Phuentsholing for some time and are also good friends.

DPT does some catching up
NA ELECTIONS : SAMTSE 22 March, 2008 - A few months ago when the candidates and the party presidents of the two political parties were on their familiarisation tour of Samtse’s four constituencies, the vote bank was leaning more towards the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Shoring up support in Shompangkha
NA ELECTIONS - SARPANG 22 March, 2008 - Candidates of political parties contesting from Shompangkha constituency under Sarpang dzongkhag and their supporters spent the last days of their campaign going from door to door to meet voters.

Bumdeling-Jamkhar seems to swing both ways

DPT’s Duptho and PDP’s Thukten Tshering

NA ELECTIONS : TRASHIYANGTSE 22 March, 2008 - It has just been a few weeks since the black-necked cranes left their winter roosting grounds in Bumdeling and flew back to Tibet and the people in Trashiyangtse held their ribald festival of Gomphu Kora.

Korphu holds the key to Drakteng-Langthel
NA ELECTIONS : TRONGSA 22 March, 2008 - In many constituencies voters have made it clear that whoever can provide a road connection will get the votes. That may not be the case for Drakteng-Langthel, one of two constituencies of the central dzongkhag of Trongsa.

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