Stage ready for NC election

The stage is all set for the third National Council election for Friday, April 20. The polling officers have reached the allocated locations while security has been tightened.

The Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) has deployed a total of 5,619 officials to conducts the polls in 866 stations in 20 districts. They include 866 presiding officers, 2,598 polling officers, 866 polling assistants, and 866 female security personnel besides Royal Bhutan Army and Royal Bhutan Police personnel who will guard the stations.

Many of them have travelled to their designated stations via road transport while some were airlifted – where road transport was inaccessible. Trashigang will have highest 474 officials for 79 stations while Gasa will have least 66 officials for 11 stations.

Since Bhutan does not entertain international observation mission, ECB deploys its own choice of individuals as ‘independent observers’. This year 77 such individuals are in the field.

The vote counting will begin shortly after the election and is likely to be out by late night. The ECB hopes to submit the result to King Jigme Khesar on Saturday. The upper house has to be re-constituted by May 10, when the tenure of the existing one expires.