BHUTAN: Royalists win election in Bhutan (AngolaPress)
THIMPHU, 03/25 - Long known as a quirky holdout from modernity, the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan ended a century of absolute monarchy Monday by electing a staunch royalist as its first prime minister.

Post-feudal twist: Bhutan’s king gives up power and embraces democracy, but response is tepid (The Oakland Press)
THIMPHU, Bhutan (AP) — The command came from the king, as commands normally do in a nation where royalty has ruled for a century.

2 ex-teachers take Punakha (Kuensel)
27 March, 2008 - Punakha The two members of parliament elected from Punakha dzongkhag share a few things in common. They were trained in the same institute (College of Education in Paro), are good debaters, and both were national language teachers before joining politics.

Shock defeat for S Ngedup (Kuensel)
27 March, 2008 - PUNAKHA Bhutan’s historic election suffered the biggest setback when the president of the People’s Democratic Party, Sangay Ngedup, was defeated in his own constituency.

Manmohan to go to a democratic Bhutan in May (Calcutta News)
As Bhutan becomes the newest democracy in India’s neighbourhood after over 100 years of absolute monarchy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is readying to go to Thimphu in May - the first visit by an Indian prime minister to that country in more than a decade.

Democracy comes to kingdom of Bhutan (TODAYonline)
A Bhutanese woman walk past an election campaign board on display in Thimphu. Bhutan brought down the curtain on a century of absolute monarchy as the king’s subjects went to the polls to elect the remote Himalayan nation’s first democratic government.

Exit monarchy, but long live the king in Bhutan (Central Chronicle)
Thimphu, March 26: Bhutan’s century old monarchy may be on the way out, but the 28-year-old king will continue to wield considerable influence in shaping his Himalayan nation’s future policies if the results of the historic parliamentary election this week are any guide.

Faith in royalty drove DPT to victory in Bhutan (IANS via Yahoo! India News)
Thimphu, March 26 (IANS) ‘Unwavering allegiance’ to the institution of monarchy and total faith in the king could be among the main reasons for the landslide win of the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) in the historic parliamentary elections in Bhutan.

Bhutan’s new govt will not hesitate to act against NE rebels (Outlook India)
Bhutan’s new government will not hesitate to carry out a 2003-like operation against Indian insurgents if they sneak into its territory, the Bhutanese party which swept to power in the country’s first general election said today.

Bhutan’s king relinquishes total power with historic vote (TODAYonline)
A Bhutanese polling officer inspects a polling center in the village of Kabesa, on the outskirts of Thimphu. Bhutan stands poised to become the world’s newest democracy on Monday with historic polls ordered by its revered royal family to end their absolute rule over the mountainous kingdom

DPT sweeps the board in Trashigang

DPT’s Jigme Tsheltrim, Choeki Wangmo, Lhatu, Minjur Dorji and Wangdi Norbu

28 March, 2008 - TRASHIGANGBhutan’s first National Assembly elections had its surprises and one of them was in the Thrimshing–Kangpara constituency where Druk Phuensum Tshogpa’s youngest candidate, 26-year-old Choeki Wangmo, beat the favourite, 48-year-old Dorji Choden of the People’s Democratic Party.

DPT sweeps Samtse

The cranes that presaged the poll results?

28 March, 2008 - SAMTSE Hours before the results of the four constituencies in Samtse were to be declared, a flock of white birds, the locals called krang-krung (cranes), perched on a huge tree besides the returning officer’s office.

Haa is halved

PDP’s Tshering Tobgay

28 March, 2008 - HAA : Sombaykha Of the three PDP candidates that won seats to the National Assembly only Tshering Tobgay of Sombaykha constituency in Haa won by a wide margin.

Lawyer lays low educator

Ugyen Wangdi

28 March, 2008 - MONGAR : Drametse-Ngatshang The DPT’s candidate in Drametse-Ngatshang constituency, Ugyen Wangdi, secured a comprehensive victory over PDP’s Namgay Om by a margin of over than 3,000 votes.

K Rangdol features in facile win

28 March, 2008 - LHUENTSE : Gangzur Minjey Druk Pheunsum Tshogpa’s Karma Rangdol won easily from the Gangzur Minjey constituency, Lhuentse district, in the March 24 National Assembly elections.

The apolitical clout

28 March, 2008 - MONGAR : Kengkhar-Weringla DPT’s Sonam Penjore, 44, from Saling gewog, will represent Kengkhar-Weringla constituency, one of the remotest gewogs in Mongar dzongkhag, in the National Assembly.

DPT pulls the rug from under PDP’s feet

28 March, 2008 - LHUENTSE : Menbi-TsankharIt was only a fortnight ago that the scattered land of Lhuentse was filled with gossip that the lower constituency of Menbi-Tsankhar belongs to PDP’s Yeshey Dorji.

DPT’s Chencho Dorji is NA elect from Phuentsholing

Chencho Dorji

27 March, 2008 - CHHUKHA Phuentsholing
A notification issued today by the Election Commission of Bhutan states that the Druk Phuensum Tshokpa (DPT) candidate, Chencho Dorji, is the National Assembly elect from the Phuentsholing Constituency and not Rinzin Dorji of the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) as was declared on the evening of March 24.

The people have spoken
But what have they said?

Prime minister elect : a momentous moment

The morning of March 24 was warm and sunny. It was one of the quietest days of the year. By nightfall the quiet became a stunned silence as the electorate gave Druk Phuensum Tshogpa 44 out of 47 constituencies, a landslide victory.

Most people, including winners and voters, were somewhat taken aback by the force of the electoral verdict. Observers were assessing the candidates and expecting a close race. They could not predict the most important element in an election… the electorate.

The greater responsibility is yet to come
27 March, 2008 - “I’d like to thank the voters for the trust and the confidence that they have placed in Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT), in the candidates that the party has fielded, and in me. It will be our endeavour to serve the King, country and people with the deepest of commitment and loyalty. We know that, in having voted for us, they have voted for a strong and vibrant democracy.”

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