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Lower house of the Parliament of Bhutan
27°29′23.2″N 89°38′17.5″E / 27.489778°N 89.638194°E / 27.489778; 89.638194
The National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Bhutan, and it's responsible for enacting laws, representing the people, and overseeing the government. It consists of 47 members elected from 47 constituencies across the road country.
Under the 2008 Constitution, Article 12, section 1, the National Assembly consists of a maximum of 55 members directly elected by the citizens of constituencies within each Dzongkhag (District).[1] Under this single-winner voting system, each constituency is represented by a single National Assembly member; each of the 20 Dzongkhags must be represented by between 2–7 members. Constituencies are reapportioned every 10 years (Art. 12, § 2).[1] The National Assembly meets at least twice a year (Art. 12, § 5), and elects a Speaker and Deputy Speaker from among its members (Art. 12, § 3). Members and candidates are allowed to hold political party affiliation.
The 2013 National Assembly election resulted in large increase in percentage of PDP members, who held 32 seats to the DPT's 15 when the new assembly was convened.[2]
In the 2018 National Assembly election, PDP did not qualify for the elections. DNT saw a rise of 30 seats, thus becoming the majority party in the Assembly. DPT, which won 17 seats, became the opposition.
In the 2023–24 Bhutanese National Assembly election, both incumbent parliamentary parties failed to win seats. PDP returned as the majority party, while the new BTP became the opposition.
The National Assembly was originally decreed in 1953 by King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. The National Assembly began as a unicameral parliament within the King's framework for democratization. In 1971, King Jigme Dorji empowered the National Assembly to remove him or any of his successors with a two-thirds majority. The procedure for abdication remains a part of Bhutan's Constitution of 2008, with the addition of a three-fourths majority in a joint sitting of Parliament (i.e., including the National Council) to confirm the involuntary abdication as well as a national referendum to finalize it.[1] (Art. 2)
The 47 members of the National Assembly are elected from single-member constituencies. Primary elections are held in which voters cast votes for parties. The top two parties are then able to field candidates in the main round of voting, in which members are elected using first-past-the-post voting.[3]
Complete list of speakers of the National Assembly.[4]
Name Entered Office Left Office Dasho Kesang Dawa 1953 1955 Dasho Thinley Dorji 1956 1963 Dasho Tamji Jagar 1964 1965 Nidup Yanglop 1966 1968 Dasho Kesang Dawa 1969 1971 Dasho Shingkhar Lam 1971 1974 Nidup Yanglop 1974 1977 Dasho Tamji Jagar 1977 1988 Lyonpo Sangye Penjor 1988 1989 Dasho Passang Dorji 1989 1997 Lyonpo Kinzang Dorji 1997 2000 Dasho Ugyen Dorji 2000 2007 Lyonpo Jigme Tshultim 2008 2013 Lyonpo Jigme Zangpo 2013 2018 Lyonpo Wangchuk Namgyel 2018 2024 Lungten Dorji 2024 Incumbent A map of Bhutan showing its 20 dzongkhags. Currently, each dzongkhag has between two and five National Assembly constituencies.The National Assembly, the lower of the Parliament of Bhutan, consists Members of Parliament (MPs). Each MP represents a single geographic constituency.[5] Currently, there are 47 National Assembly constituencies.[6][7] Out of the 20 dzongkhags of Bhutan, Trashigang, with five constituencies, has the highest number of National Assembly constituencies. Samtse, with four constituencies, has the second highest number of National Assembly constituencies. Mongar and Pema Gatshel, with three constituencies each, share the third-highest position. All of the other 16 dzongkhags have two constituencies each.
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