Bhutan Daily News 21-04-23
- Saidpiece
- Apr 21, 2023
- 2 min read
Residents in Bumthang say that the bad road condition in Bumthang town and those leading towards the town is affecting their daily commute. While the Nangar-Chamkhar road had been resurfaced, some stretches still remain damaged. Similarly, the road leading to the district court has been in dire condition for a couple of years now. Residents say that maintaining these roads would benefit them.
The residents of Samchholing Khamaed in Dragteng Gewog and Kela village of Tangsibji Gewog in Trongsa are still awaiting the Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project Authority to begin construction of their staff quarters. Around five years ago, the residents of these two villages sold more than 25 acres of land to the project for a little over two million ngultrum anticipating developmental activities in return. But today, with the plan still on paper, the villagers are unsure if it will materialize at all.
With no mobile voting booths available for National Council Elections and postal ballots for senior citizens and physically challenged individuals done away with, many individuals could have missed out on the chance to vote. In Samdrup Jongkhar, though some physically challenged individuals came forward to vote on their wheelchairs, people like Tobgay and his bedridden wife were not able to exercise the franchise this time.
Age did not matter for the voters of Pemagatshel. They voted for the youngest candidate of the three to represent them in the House of Review. Jamyang Namgyal, 34, is the National Council (NC) elected from Pemagatshel.
Against all odds, the 2023 National Council election was a surprise in many ways. First up, many thought and even concluded that the voter turnout would be the poorest this election year. This comes on the heels of the restrictions on postal ballot and doing away with postal ballot facilitation booths. Many concluded and some were even waiting to prove the Election Commission of Bhutan wrong in their decisions.
Despite apprehensions that voter turnout would drop this election year, the turnout yesterday was the highest so far in the National Council elections. Around 30,000 more voters cast their votes in the fourth National Council elections yesterday compared with the third council elections. As per the Election Commission of Bhutan’s record, 265,465 voters cast their vote out of the 485,811 registered voters in the country.
Sonam Tenzin wins Trashiyangtse’s National Council seat. In a dramatic turn of events, Sonam Tenzin, 36, was elected yesterday as the new National Council (NC) member for Trashiyangtse with a whopping 3,624 votes.
Chukha re-elected the 42-year-old former school principal and incumbent NC member Sangay Dorji yesterday. He won with 7,958 votes out of the 15,176 votes cast. Sangay Dorji from Gedu village in Bongo beat his four opponents in both EVM votes and postal ballots. He secured 5,454 EVM votes and 2,504 postal ballots.
Securing 24.83 percent of the total votes cast, Sonam Tobgyel from Phongmey Gewog is the National Council (NC) elected from Trashigang.
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