Bhutan

National AssemblyNational Council

National Council

Political system Political systems: Presidential, Parliamentary, Presidential-Parliamentary, Monarchy, Communist, Transitional.
Monarchy
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Structure of parliament Structure of parliament: Unicameral, bicameral
Bicameral
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IPU membership Current membership status
Yes
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Data on women

empty

Basic information > About parliament

Speaker

Speaker
Tashi Dorji (Male)
Year of birth
1981

Secretary general

Secretary General
Chencho Tshering (Male)
Notes Additional information about the Secretary General, in particular regarding their term.
Appointed on 14 July 2016.

Members

Current number of members, by sex
Men The number of male parliamentarians who currently hold seats in parliament.
21
Women The number of female parliamentarians who currently hold seats in parliament.
3
See historical data for this field.
Percentage of women Calculated by dividing the current number of women by the current number of members.
12.5% See historical data for this field.

Age

Average age of all members Age at the time of the last election or renewal.
40.39
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Youngest member (years) Age at the time of the last election or renewal.
30
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Youngest member
Sonam Pelzom (Male)
Oldest member (years) Age at the time of the last election or renewal.
54
Oldest member
Tshewang Rinzin (Male)
Total number of MPs, 45 years of age or younger
17 See historical data for this field.
Total number of MPs, 46 years of age or older
7 See historical data for this field.
Total per sex
Total of male
21
Total of female
3 See historical data for this field.
Total per age interval
18-20
0
21-30
3 See historical data for this field.
31-40
10
41-45
4 See historical data for this field.
46-50
5 See historical data for this field.
51-60
2 See historical data for this field.
61-70
0
71-80
0
81-90
0
91 and over
0
Number of members, by age
Breakdown of members by age and gender
18 - 20 21 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 45 46 - 50 51 - 60 61 - 70 71 - 80 81 - 90 91 and over Totals per gender
Totals per age interval 0 3 10 4 5 2 0 0 0 0
Total <= 45: 17 Total >= 46: 7
Male 0 2 9 3 5 2 0 0 0 0 21
Female 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
Percentage of members, by age
Age as last election or renewalOverallMaleFemale
Percentage of MPs 30 years of age or younger12.5%8.33%4.17%
Percentage of MPs 40 years of age or younger54.17%45.83%8.33%
Percentage of MPs 45 years of age or younger70.83%58.33%12.5%

Reserved seats and quotas

Electoral quota for women Quotas to promote the representation of women in parliament.
No
Compare data of this field.
Elections > Election results

Candidates

Total number of candidates Total number of people who registered as candidates for election. Does not include people who stood as candidates to become "substitute members".
121
Number of female candidates Number of female candidates
6
Percentage of women candidates The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women candidates by the total number of candidates.
4.96%
Number of candidates, by sex
Number of female candidates Number of female candidates
6
Percentage of women candidates The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women candidates by the total number of candidates.
4.96%

Results

Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
18
Number of women elected
2
Percentage of women elected The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women elected in the election and the number of seats at stake at the election.
10%
Note on the Distribution of seats according to sex
Two women were elected in 2018 and two others were appointed by the King.
Number of women after election or renewal, by mode of designation
Women Directly Elected
2
Women Appointed
2

New legislature

Total number of men after the election The total number of male parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
21
Total number of women after the election The total number of female parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
4
First Speaker of the new legislature
First Speaker of the new legislature First name of the Speaker of the new legislature following the election or renewal.
Tashi Dorji (Male)
Date of election
10.05.2018
Elections > Historical data on women

Women's suffrage

Women’s right to vote
Women’s right to vote Year in which women obtained the right to vote
1953
National or local Suffrage: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
Restricted
Detail of restrictions Suffrage: Restrictions detail
Only 1 vote per household
Women’s right to vote Year in which women obtained the right to vote
2008
National or local Suffrage: National or Local
National
Restricted or unrestricted suffrage Suffrage: Restricted or Universal
Universal
Notes Suffrage: Additional Notes on right of suffrage
The new constitution, adopted by Parliament on 21 July 2008 provides for universal suffrage
Women’s right to stand for election
Women's right to stand for election Year in which women obtained the right to stand for election
1953
National or local Stand for Election: National or Local
National
First woman in parliament
First woman in parliament Year in which first woman entered parliament
1980

Specialized body - Women's caucus

Bhutan Women's Parliamentary Caucus (BWPC)
(August 2019)
Formal or informal
Formal

Activities

Issues dealt with by the caucus
The BWPC's platform is focused on:

Showcasing and promoting the voice and visibility of women to gain the trust and confidence of society in women's leadership, thereby increasing their chances of getting elected to parliament;

Ensuring that women’s rights, gender equality, children’s rights and social agendas remain central to the work of the Parliament.

Contact information for the Committee