About the election
Short description of the context and results of the election.
Mr. Tshering Tobgay's People's Democratic Party (PDP) won an absolute majority, taking 32 of the National Assembly's 47 seats, whereas it had only won two seats in the 2008 elections. Although it was leading after the primary round (see note), Prime Minister Jigme Thinley's Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) saw its share fall from 45 to 15 seats.
The 2013 election was the second election in the history of parliamentary democracy in Bhutan. Initially five parties, including three new parties, were registered for the elections. However, only four parties contested the primary round as one party did not fulfill the criteria of furnishing a list of all 47 candidates to the Election Commission of Bhutan.
On 28 July, the new government, which comprised the first-ever woman minister in Bhutan, was formed with Mr. Tshering Tobgay (PDP) as the Prime Minister. The 2013 elections were declared as being free and fair by international election observers.
Note:
Four parties contested the primary round in May 2013, in which the ruling DPT won 44.52 per cent of the votes against the PDP's 32.53 per cent. Only the two leading parties in the primary elections contest the second (general) round of elections to the National Assembly.