With tshogpa elections held yesterday in three chiwogs of Thimphu’s Lingzhi gewog, the gewog now has a tshogde. The gewog was without a tshogde or decision-making body.

The three tshogpa-elects are Samten from Khangkiyuel, Ugyen Penjore from Gangkiyuel and Dechen Tshomo from Chakphu.

From the total of five constituencies the gewog is made up of only one tshogpa was elected in the second local government elections that concluded in September last year.

There were only three elected members in the gewog – the gup, the mangmi and a tshogpa. Only one chiwog – Chuzarkha – does not have a tshogpa, but the gewog tshogde now has a tshogde quorum.

Lingzhi mangmi Tenzin Zangpo said the chiwog’s tshogpa candidate was disqualified. “The election commission found that the candidate was a party member,” he said.

There should be at least five elected members to constitute a quorum for a gewog tshogde. A gewog administration is handicapped without a quorum since important decisions must be endorsed by a tshogde.

Gewog budgets have to be endorsed by a tshogde. Lingzhi gup, Wangdi, in an earlier interview with Kuensel said the gewog administration faced difficulties when it came to allocation of gewog development grants (GDG).

In absence of tshogpas, chiwogs were not represented properly in a gewog tshogde. Most gewogs had gewog tshogdes but they did not have tshogpas in all chiwogs.

The election commission last month announced yesterday’s elections. With the yesterday’s election, the local government is expected to take its full shape.

There were four thromde ngotshab posts, equivalent of the mangmi post, up for grabs in Gasa, Mongar, Pemagatshel and Paro towns. Another 52 chiwog tshogpa and five thromde tshogpa posts remained to be filled.

MB Subba

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