Phub Dem | Haa

Haa has seen an increase in candidates for mangmi and gup posts this local government (LG) election.

As of yesterday, three candidates from Eusu gewog shared their participation for the position of gup. There is a mangmi candidate from every chiwog.

So far, Bebji-Mochu chiwog has had the highest number of candidates (four) for the mangmi post.

According to sources, former gups who couldn’t make it in the 2016 elections from some gewogs were contesting again this time. Locals are also seeing new faces participating in various posts.

Katsho will begin the dhamngoi zomdu on November 11, followed by Bji on November 13. The zomdu will end on November 15 with the selection of throm thuemi.

Eight contestants have informally showed interest in Bji gup’s position. Former gup Passang’s chiwog Talung has three candidates, including himself.

Passang said that there used to be only two to three participants in the past elections, but it has increased drastically this time. He attributed the rise to unemployment issues and the attractive entitlement of the LG leaders.

He said that most of the participants were young.

For now, only three candidates have showed an interest in Katsho gup’s post, including a former mangmi.

An aspiring gup candidate from Katsho, Phuntsho Norbu, said that there is stiff competition among the candidates from the chiwog level. He said that such a trend indicates the importance of the democratic institution in the country.

Dhamngoi zomdu in Haa began on November 6 from Jenkana-Pudunag under Samar gewog and Dorithasa-Kowkha-Yangtse under Gakiling gewog and Bebhi-Mochu chiwog in Sambaykha gewog.

The last dhamngoi zomdu in the dzongkhag will be held on November 15.

Two election teams are currently conducting the zomdu in two remote southern gewogs, and another group is going around in the four upper gewogs. Except for Samar gewog, the other five gewog’s elections are ongoing.

Except for Katsho gewog, all former gups are re-contesting in the local government (LG) election.

With the exception of Shari chiwog, Samar gewog has seen five gup candidates from four chiwogs. Four mangmis will be contesting during the election. A former mangmi was outvoted by a single vote from his chiwog: Langpa-Nobgang.

Sangbaykha and Gakiling are left with two zomdus each.

So far, Gakiling has nominated three gup candidates from each chiwog, and Sangbaykha has two gup candidates from three chiwogs.

Wang Tshering, an aspiring candidate from Phootsena-Nagtsena chiwog under Gakiling gewog, left his job to participate.

Although there was no competitor from his chiwog, he was unhappy about the voter turnout. Out of 275 eligible voters, only 51 voters participated this time.

He said that voters had to walk, and most of them were engaged with the orange growing business.