Bhutan’s Election Victory: Tshering Tobgay’s Pro-India Stance and Implications for Regional Dynamics

Context:

Tshering Tobgay and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won the runoff election in Bhutan

Bhutan’s Pro-India Leader and the Strategic Implications for the Region

• Tobgay, is a conservationist and former civil servant and served as prime minister of Bhutan earlier from 2013 to 2018. 
• Newly-elected Tobgay is considered pro-India and thus is expected to be a major boost to India’s regional strategic concerns.

The Two Round System: An Insight into Runoff Voting and its Electoral Significance

• Runoff Voting is also known as a two round system (TRS). Runoff Voting is a voting method used to elect a single candidate when a second election must be held because the first election did not reach the necessary threshold of votes needed for a candidate to win.  
• The election process usually proceeds to a second round only if in the first round no candidate received a simple majority (more than 50%) of votes cast or some other lower prescribed percentage.

Democracy in Bhutan: Evolving from Monarchy to Multiparty Elections with Persistent Challenges

• Beginning: Bhutan transitioned from a monarchy to a parliamentary democracy in 2008. The nation is still ruled in the name of the monarch. Still, the King holds little actual political authority.

• Deepening of Democracy:  

• • The recent race saw five candidates compared to two in initial elections. 
  • Compared to past elections, candidates had specific promises and positions this time, giving voters a genuine choice.
• Problems: Challenges like media censorship, discrimination against religious and linguistic minorities and lack of accountability among the politicians still remain.

Bhutan and India: Challenges and Seizing Opportunities in the Geopolitical Landscape

• Challenges: Bhutan has shown strong inclinations to resolve its border issue with China, despite no formal diplomatic relations, a concern for India.
• Opportunity: It is a chance for India to showcase how its approach to neighbors differs from China’s debt trap. It will be important given the rising anti-India sentiment in neighbors.

Additional Reading: India-Bhutan Relations

Source: Indian Express

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