Dechen Dolkar
An aspiring political party formed by the former National Land Commission secretary Dasho Pema Chewang submitted its application for registration to the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) yesterday.
The proposed name of the party is Bhutan Tendrel Tshogpa (BTT). In a simple ceremony on November 29, 2022, the party held their first pre-registration convention in Thimphu.
Dasho Pema Chewang, 56, was unanimously elected as the Party President at the convention. The party also elected its two Vice Presidents, General Secretary, Treasurer and Executive Committee members. A party spokesperson said that the details would be released at a later date.
The election was held following ECB guidelines and electoral officials from ECB conducted the election. Dzongkhag coordinators, party supporters and members from 20 dzongkhags, youth groups, women representatives and some of the party’s candidates attended the convention.
The party will hold a nationwide convention after its application has been approved by the ECB. During the convention, the party will announce its candidates, reveal its symbols and share its ideology with the public.
The ECB spokesperson, Phub Dorji, said that after receiving the application from the applicant the commission formed a committee yesterday.
He said that the committee will be meeting by Monday since some of the members are out of the station.
According to Phub Dorji, the committee will be verifying documents and requirements against the checklist of the new party registration process.
He said that there is no Act specifying the turnaround time for the registration process of a new political party.
“If the new party is able to furnish the required information, the commission will do registration as soon as possible without compromising the quality,” said the spokesperson.
The party will hold a nationwide convention after ECB approves its registration.
If ECB registers the party, Bhutan will have six registered political parties contesting in the parliamentary elections next year.