Political Parties and Elections
| Parties | Votes | % | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party | 169,490 | 67.04 | 45 |
| People's Democratic Party | 83,522 | 32.96 | 2 |
| Total votes (turnout 79.4%) | 253,012 | 100.00 | 47 |
| Source: election-bhutan.org | |||
In Bhutan, political parties, elections, and referenda are overseen by the Election Commission, an independent government regulatory agency.
Candidates for most elections and appointments in Bhutan must be non-partisan, however political parties may slate candidates for seats in the National Assembly. The party that wins the most seats nominates the Prime Minister. The first and current Prime Minister, Lyonchen Jigme Thinley, is a member of the Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party.
Political pressure groups include the Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant anti-government campaign; Indian merchant community and the exiled United Front for Democracy.
Read more about this topic: Government Of Bhutan, Branches of Government, Legislative Branch
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