Kelzang Wangchuk | 

Samdrupjongkhar

The Samdrupjongkhar thromde-toed is likely to remain without the thromde tshogpa, as a lone candidate was not elected in the bye-election yesterday.

Tshewang Rinzin, 29, got 14 “No” votes and nine “Yes” votes.  

Of the 63 eligible voters registered in the demkhong, 23 turned out to cast their votes at the Samdrupjongkhar Primary School polling station.

Khandrophu-Minjiwoong
tshogpa Jurmi Wangdi

The demkhong has remained without a tshogpa since August 2019, as the former tshogpa resigned to pursue further education in Australia.

Tshewang Rinzin said that he was not surprised with the result and was indeed happy because the tshogpa’s term ends in August this year.

“Since the water is the main problem in the demkhong, I’d plans to address the issues,” Tshewang Rinzin said.

He said he didn’t have enough time to campaign. “But I’ll contest again in the upcoming thromde election.”

Meanwhile, Jurmi Wangdi, 37, from Minjiwoong in Serthi gewog, was elected the Khandrophu-Minjiwoong chiwog tshogpa yesterday.

He secured 99 “Yes” votes and 30 “No” votes.  The chiwog has about 534 eligible registered voters.

Jomotshangkha drungkhag court sentenced the former tshogpa for illegal smuggling of marijuana in August last year.

The responsibilities of the tshogpa are to inform people, represent them in the gewog tshogde and propose developmental activities in the chiwogs.

“We didn’t have anyone to share our concerns and inform the gewog before,” a resident said.