Chencho Dema | Punakha 

The five NC candidates for the Punakha pledged exhaustive public consultations before enacting laws or policy formulation during the public debate on April 2.

Dophu Drukpa, 54, from Toebisa Gewog, pledged to work with the voters and assist them with commercial farming and marketing of local produce by constructing cold storage, proper packaging, and a place to store farm produce with government support.

His other pledges are to include people’s views in Bills, keep constituents informed, promote market access for farmers, and support youth development.

Dophu Drukpa has a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Economics from University of Philippines and master’s from Chiang Mai University in Agriculture. He was a former PDP Member of Parliament in National Assembly.




Chencho Wangdi, 48, from Chhubu Gewog with 21 years of public service, said that he has a thorough understanding of the country’s problems. He hopes to act as a link between the electorate and the government.

With the experience,  he decided that this was the ideal time to step up and play a part in serving the people and nation. His pledges include reviewing of 13th Plan to ensure  Punakha gets a fair share of national resources, and propose legislation and policies to preserve Buddhism and cultural heritage.

He has a Bachelor in Secondary Education from Samtse College of Education.

Dorji Tenzin, 42, from Shenga-Bjemi Gewog pledged to consult the public about the government’s plans, hold discussions on pertinent issues, and share the people’s concerns with the government.

He pledged to initiate or review laws and policies to make them timely and relevant to the needs of the country, share demands of people to government and parliament.




He graduated from Institute of Language and Culture Studies, Simtokha with Bachelor’s in Language and Culture and has been in service for 15 years.

Lhaki Dolma, 44, from Dzomi Gewog, the incumbent National Council member, thanked the voters of Punakha for choosing her to represent them for five years since 2018 despite having better candidates.

She pledged that she won’t let the voters down if they support her. She appealed to female voters in the dzongkhag to let her represent them since Punakha has more female voters than men.

Upholding the provisions of the Constitution, strengthening the pride and confidence of being Bhutanese, and supporting progressive laws and policies were her major pledges.

Namgay Dorji, 41, from Talo Gewog is contesting the NC election for the third time.




He said that despite losing in 2008 and 2013, he is urging support from voters for the chance to serve them in NC.

He pledged to prioritise the needs of the people in making policies and to make decisions to benefit them after exhaustive consultations.

For the 13th Plan, he said he will consult with the people to fulfil their needs. He also pledged to serve as a bridge between the people and the government.