E-Paper
Political System
Druk Yul is the traditional or native name of Bhutan. It is ruled by a hereditary monarch.
Full Name of the country: Royal Kingdom of Bhutan
Type of government: Monarchy
Head of state: Druk Gyalpo (king) Jigme Singye Wangchuck
Head of the government: King Jigme Singye Wangchuck
Druk Yul is the traditional or native name of Bhutan. It is ruled by a hereditary monarch. His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth hereditary monarch, is the current king and Chief Executive of Bhutan.
His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuk governs with the support of a National Assembly and a Council of Ministers. There is no written Constitution to protect fundamental political and human rights.
The Cabinet or the Council of Ministers (Lhengye Zhungtsho)
The first Council of Ministers was created in 1968. Till June 2003, there were six full fledged Ministries each headed by a cabinet minister. In 1998, the king delegated some of his normal day-to-day functions to the Council of Ministers. On June 10, 1998, the king issued a royal edict to the Speaker of the National Assembly directing that the Assembly must elect all ministers for a period of five years term. The king retained the power of nominating the names of the Council of Ministers to the Assembly. In line with his edict, the National Assembly elected the first Council of Ministers in July 1998. The king retained the control of "matters of national sovereignty and national security" for himself.
The post of the head of cabinet, equivalent to prime minister, is rotational. It is rotated among the cabinet ministers on an annual basis.
NOTE: The Royal Government of Bhutan is guided by the advice of the Government of India in regard to its external relations. India is also responsible for the defence and security of Bhutan. Bhutan has resident diplomatic representations in India, Bangladesh, Kuwait, New York and Geneva.
Political institutions
The Tshogdu (National Assembly, a unicameral House of Parliament) has 150 members of which 105 are chimmis (representatives of the people) elected for a term of three years. The monk bodies elect 12 monastic representatives, while the remaining 33 members are representatives of the government and are nominated by the King. The Tshogdu sits twice a year, in addition to emergency sessions.
Not independent: The constituency of National Assembly consists of a number of villages. Each village is entitled to nominate one candidate. Since there is no electoral system, the villages must nominate the candidate by consensus. The provision of self-nomination is non-existent. The law does not permit for campaign or canvassing by the candidates. Individuals do not have the right to vote. Every family in a village is entitled to one vote in elections.
The National Assembly, has no independent authority. It does not have sovereign power, since the sovereign power is vested in the monarch. Citizens do not have the right to change their government. The Assembly could not evolve as a representative House. The 105 members of National Assembly, called chimmis, have no popular support base. The National Assembly does not have an opposition bench. The government (executive branch) normally tables a bill for discussion. The government sponsored bills become act or laws. The members of Assembly do not table the bills.
A Royal Advisory Council also exists to advise the King and the ministers, consisting of 9 councillors. Four councillors are elected as representatives of the people, four are elected as representatives of Monk Bodies and one councillor is nominated by the King.
The organisations of the central government consist of seven ministries, their related departments, four commissions, the Royal Bhutan Army, Royal Bhutan Police, Royal Body Guards and several autonomous bodies. The ministries include foreign affairs, communications, trade and industry, finance, social services, agriculture and home affairs. The four commissions are the Planning Commission, The Royal Civil Service Commission, the Special Commission for Cultural Affairs and the Dzongkha Development Commission.
Territorial division: Economic and political power
The country is divided into 18 Dzongkhags. During the 7th Plan Tashigang dzongkhag was to be split into two Dzongkhags namely Tashigang and Tashi Yangtsi. Larger Dzongkhags are sub-divided into Dungkhags (sub-districts). The Dzongdags and Dungkhags by Dungpas. Gewogs are administered by Gups who are elected by the community.
Legal System: Based on Indian Law and English common law; it has not accepted compulsory ICI Jurisdiction.
Political Parties: No legal parties.
