2023 is a year of elections in South Asia of which Bhutan will remain the least contentious.
Of these polls in Pakistan are expected to be the most contentious and in Bhutan the smoothest.
India goes through nine State/Union Territory polls with extensive and contentious campaigning.
Bangladesh will have polls in December this year which may spill over to January in 2024, that is the year when India will also have elections for the Lok Sabha – the lower assembly through direct voting by the people.
Myanmar which had planned to hold elections by August 2023 is unlikely to do so now given the military has extended emergency on February 01 two years after the military took power. The military announced that the situation is not, “normal,” thus the Constitution of 2008 has been used under this clause for postponing polls which could now be held in 2024.
Sri Lanka will be having Local Governance polls in 2023 which also remains contentious as the ruling party and government are seeking to postpone the polls due to economic constraints.
A bankrupt Pakistan faces national elections which have to be held for the National Assembly by October 2023. With the ruling coalition Pakistan Democratic Alliance and the opposition led by disruptive Mr Imran Khan, elections are expected to be held under antagonistic circumstances.
Case Bhutan
Polls in Bhutan will be held for the national council and national assembly in 2023. These are expected to be held smoothly.
National Council Elections
Bhutan Broadcasting Service reported that the Election Commission of Bhutan. has received registration of 130 aspiring candidates from 96 gewogs for the National Council elections. Sarpang has 19 aspiring candidates while Bumthang, Gasa, Haa, Trashi Yangtse, and Trongsa with only two aspiring candidates each so far. There are nine aspiring candidates from Monggar, Paro seven five from Pema Gatshel, Punakha six, 11 from Samdrup Jongkhar and Samtse, three candidates from Thimphu, five from Trashigang and 12 aspiring candidates from Tsirang, Wangdue Phodrang has nine aspiring NC candidates.
Of the 10 incumbent NC members aspiring to contest the NC election, eight have registered with the ECB so far. The National Council has 25 members. People of 20 dzongkhags (districts) elect 20 members, while His Majesty the King nominates five members to the House as eminent persons as the Government. The Council is non-partisan and its members do not belong to any political parties. It is also known as the house of review. The Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) has notified that the National Council (NC) elections for the fourth Parliament will be conducted in early 2023. The tenure of the current National Council members ends on May 9, next year.
National Assembly Elections
Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) , Druk Thendrel Tshogpa (DTT), Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) and the current ruling party, Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) are gearing up for the elections.
While some candidates, including serving members of Parliament, are already in the constituencies, new candidates are being declared. The five political parties – one party for every 87,732 eligible voters if we take the 438,663 registered eligible voters in 2018. There are five registered political parties in Bhutan. The Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party has deregistered as a political party with the Election Commission of Bhutan. BKP was registered as a political party in 2013. Funding issues appear to be the main concern.
The 47 members of the National Assembly are elected from single-member constituencies. Primary elections are held in which voters cast votes for parties. The top two parties are then able to field candidates in the main round of voting, in which members are elected using first-past-the-post votingBhutan is expected to hold National Assembly elections by October 2023. “Going by the past three elections, the incumbency factor could be decisive. Let’s not be surprised if a new party becomes the ruling party or at least the opposition party,” said a retired politician as per Kuenselonline. “Bhutanese voters cannot be trusted. They are so nice and give chances to newcomers.”
Strict Control over Polls
Election Commission of Bhutan will discontinue providing voter cards hereafter. Voters will now be required to bring their Citizenship Identity Cards to the polling stations.
The Election Commision of Bhutan has also revised the penalties thus ensuring strictness in conduct of polls to minimize violations. Bhutan Broadcasting services has indicated that before the revision, an individual was liable to pay a penalty of over Nu 3,750 or the national wage rate for 30 days for a minor offence. This is now revised to 120 days.
For a major offence, the penalty has been increased from a national wage rate of 150 days to 600 days amounting to Nu 75,000. The current minimum national wage rate is Nu 125 per day. According to the ECB, one may receive a warning for the first offence if it is minor, but fines will be imposed for a major offence as per Bhutan Broadcasting Corporation.