LG elections postponed
The election commission of Bhutan has postponed the election of the local government Schedule for May 21 following a direction issued by King.
King Jigme Khesar issued order to postpone the election after several LG elections aspirants complained about commission’s decision not to allow them contest the elections saying they have not left the party a year before.
Though most of them are no more members, lack of records at the election commission tagged them as party members. Despite the parties providing fresh list of their members, the commission rejected dozens of applications from local government elections aspirants.
King has ordered the commission to work out a solution for disqualification of several former formal party members from contesting the elections. New date for the elections has been rescheduled for June 27.
A ECB statement reads that the local government elections are being postponed so that it can verify, individually, the prospective candidates who were disqualified due to the failure of the two political parties to notify the election commission, in spite of their formal declaration to resign and abstaining from all political activities for over a year. The commission has asked these disqualified candidates to approach the commission offices across the country by May 21.
The statement reads, if, through verification, any of these candidates are found eligible in keeping with the constitutional requirement that, “a candidate to or a member of the local government shall not belong to any political party,” it will serve to widen the choice for people and fill the vacant constituency seats.
Following the postponement, it is feared that the commission might nto get adequate polling and presiding officers since it is season for mid-term examinations across the country. The education ministry might need to adjust the education calendar.