Rinzin Wangchuk
Three candidates nominated at the dhamngoi zomdus will contest for a National Council seat from Pemagatshel dzongkhag on the poll day on April 20.
Unlike in the 2018 NC elections, 11 gewogs of Pemagatshel saw only four aspirants from three gewogs. Shumar gewog had two aspirants. Other eight gewogs did not have any candidates.
During the dhamngoi zomdu, Shumar gewog nominated Jamyang Namgyal, 34, as the nominee from the gewog with 49 more votes than his opponent Sherig Dentshog, 40. In 2018, people of Shumar nominated Sherig Dentshog as the gewog’s NC candidate.
Of the 707 votes cast, Jamyang Namgyal secured 378 votes. He served as statistical analyst with Bhutan Survey Agent and Consultancy, and deputy chief veterinary officer, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. Jamyang Namgyal has a Master’s degree (MSc) in Vector Ecology and Disease Modelling from University of Calgary, Canada and BVSc and AH from Pondicherry University, India.
The lone aspirant from Nanong gewog, Yeshey Jamtsho, 49, secured 340 Yes votes and 16 No votes. He has a Master degree in Banking and Finance (PMBF) from AIT, Thailand. Yeshey Jamtsho, has 25 years of experience with Bhutan Development Bank Limited (BDBL).
The incumbent NC member, Choining Dorji, 52, from Dechhenling gewog, sailed through the nomination zomdu with 337 votes confirming his candidature to contest from his gewog. He had 26 people vote No. Choining Dorji holds a Master’s degree LL.M from California Western School of Law.
The nomination round concluded yesterday. There was not a single female nominee, according to a dzongkhag official.
There were six candidates in the 2018 NC elections from Pemagatshel. The dzongkhag had 28,091 registered voters during the Local Government elections in 2021.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) will release the draft electoral roll for claims and objections tomorrow. The last date for filing nomination is March 13 and the election campaign will commence on the following day, according to ECB notification issued on February 16.