Bhutanese Electoral Administration in Comparative Perspective

After a century of absolute monarchy, the fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuk of Bhutan, stunned the nation with a royal decree that declared his abdication and announced the introduction of democracy. It is a unique experience, unlike other countries where democracy was often achieved with bloody rebellions and warfare. Bhutanese democracy is unique, and it is worth revealing its uniqueness to the world. The purpose of this study is to evaluate Bhutanese electoral administration from a comparative perspective, particularly in terms of international best practices. Through the Election Act and the Constitution, Bhutan has adopted many best electoral practices from around the world, but it also has its own laws, rules, and regulations. These may be unfamiliar to readers and deviate from international best practices but they have their own significance and importance to Bhutanese reasoning. This book will be useful to people around the world, especially to people who are fascinated in electoral democracy. It will also be useful to people to learn about the country known for the concept, Gross National Happiness as the measures of quality of life instead of Gross National Product.