Local Elections Conducted Successfully: Update No. 92
By S. Chandrasekharan.
The long awaited local government elections were completed successfully on July 27th. This would thus complete the process of democratisation that was begun with the promulgation of a new constitution and ushering in of democracy three years ago.
Elections were conducted in 205 Geogs of the 20 Dzonkhags for electing local leadership at three levels- the Gups, their deputies Manganis and the Tshogpas.
While the Gups will head the Geogs and Manganis will be the deputies, the most important person will be the “elected representative” at the lowest village level- the Tshogpas.
The Tshogpas may be the lowest level in the hierarchy of the elected bodies but as pointed out by the King himself, he or she will be the nearest and closest level of the government with the people. In a true and democratic tradition they have been elected and not selected. So is the case of the Gups who for the first time have been elected under the new constitution. The institution of Gups as elected representatives play a very crucial and important role in representing the government at the middle level. As the Chief Justice Tobgay pointed out, the Gups in the past played a key role in the preserving the nation’s history and its cultural heritage.