Bhutanese Want Their Monarch To Reign Absolute

When King Jigme of Bhutan commanded his people to vote in the first democratic election on March 24th, no one could predict the fallout from his action. The election results, which had the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) party win most of the seats, did not reassure Bhutan’s voters that a democracy was right for their country especially since the opposition, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), won only two seats. Many Bhutanese have no desire for a democratic government with a ceremonial king, but rather have their beloved monarch’s absolute rule. Despite the Bhutanese misgivings, the king is adamant that democracy is the key to Bhutan’s future and said, “the introduction of democracy is not for the benefit of a few political parties and politicians. It is for Bhutan and it must serve the nation long after we are gone.”

Photo: Associated Press/Manish Swarup