Neten Dorji | Trashigang

Bye-election for gup in Bumdeling Gewog, Trashiyangtse is scheduled for November 19.

According to the Election Act, a bye-election should be held within 30 days from the date of vacancy.  However, a by-election was withheld due to a pandemic.

The post had remained vacant after Gup Yeshi Dorji was sentenced for two years and 10 months in a forgery case.

Dzonkhag election officer, Sangay Dorji, said that 43-years-old Phub Thinley from Gangkhar-Tshaling Chiwog was the lone candidate for the post of Bumdeling gup. “We declared him as the lone candidate after the other two could not qualify.”

One of the candidates, he said, was a registered member of People Democratic Party (PDP); the other candidate was disqualified because of criminal records.

The common forum started from Pangkhar-Tarphel Chiwog on November 3.

This is Bumdeling gewog’s third gup election in five years.

The first Bumdeling gup, who was elected during the Local Government election 2016, was sent to jail for 12 years for raping a minor.

The new gup will serve for the remainder of his predecessor’s office term, which is until local government elections in 2021.

The Section 580 of the Election Act states that a member elected to fill a casual vacancy shall only serve for the remainder of his/her predecessor’s term of office.

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