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1 1 (March 23, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govclzq0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF. , ,iE SE .r!h & t p\w -- , gnom go mppm qq\ , q I as 11LIANJILiN, Updated March 23, 2020 The Kingdom of Bhutan The Kingdom of Bhutan, also known as the Land of the Thunder Dragon, is a small, landlocked Himalayan country situated between India and China. The mountainous kingdom is about half the size of Indiana, with an estimated population of 782,000, approximately 115,000 of them in and around the capital city, Thimphu. Bhutan's economy has grown primarily as a result of hydropower, agriculture, and forestry development. The United States has no significant trade relations with Bhutan, and its foreign aid mission and bilateral consular affairs are handled by the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan visited Bhutan in August, 2019. Bhutan has participated in a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) regional program for South Asia directed at developing power infrastructure, and it has implemented programs intended to help mitigate some of the effects of climate change. With 70% forest cover and extensive hydropower, Bhutan is a carbon negative country. Th,'e Consti.udion, Eection~rs, md the Kikng The constitution of Bhutan establishes three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. The bicameral legislature, or Chi Tshog, includes the National Assembly (Tshogdu), with 47 elected representatives, and the National Council (Gyelyong Tshongde), with 25 members, 5 of which are selected by the king. Legislators serve five-year terms. The executive branch includes the Dragon King (Druk Gyalpo), currently King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, as Head of State, and the prime minister, presently Lotay Tshering, as Head of Government. The king is hereditary and appoints the majority leader in the parliament as prime minister. There is also a Council of Ministers (LhengyeZhungtshog), whose members are nominated by the king, in consultation with the prime minister, and approved by the National Assembly. Ministers serve five-year terms. The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, the High Court, District Courts (Dzongkhag), and Sub-District Courts (Dungkhag). The Supreme Court has five members. The Chief Justice, appointed by the king, serves up to two five-year terms, and the four Associate Justices (Drangpons) serve up to two 10- year terms. Bhutan's path to democracy was not spurred by a popular movement but rather was initiated and encouraged by the fourth and fifth kings of the Wangchuck dynasty. According to Bhutan's first prime minister, Jigme Y. Thinley, who came to power in the country's first election of 2008, the Bhutanese people were apprehensive about the new system because in many of the countries, democracy had failed or was in the process of failing, and leading to tremendous upheavals, strife among the people. The king, however, insisted that the long-term interests of the people were best served by elected leaders. The first election went smoothly in 2008, and the second, in 2013, brought a peaceful transition of power in which the opposition People's Democratic Party won 32 of the 42 elected National Assembly seats. Lotay Tshering's Bhutan United Party won the 2018 National Assembly elections with 30 of 47 seats. Figure I.Bhutan in Brief ther I ofu ifhaa Popua tior. 782001% gUowh 1 ' v t I Religion; Buddhist 7S% kndu 22% GOvernment! The gndorn &f Bietan is a CoInstit tnna Mounarkcy Head of Stare, K~ns Jigme Khesar Nangyel Wa ng' hitck Heatd of Government: P~ime Minkter Lotay Tsherr Per Ca pit a GDf $9q0 pppest Lebonr A gricuitmre 58%, Sert fces 22%. lndiitrv 20U% Key Ex ports Frt n jsihtun, Zydropuw r Key Export Partners; lndij2,BnVds 4 Poverty Rat 82% Lif Expect3ncy 72 years Source: CIA World Factbook, Economist Intelligence Unit, Media. The birth of the hereditary Wangchuck dynasty in 1907 has shaped Bhutan's democracy. The first ruler, King Ugyen (1907-1926), introduced reforms and Western education. The second ruler, King Jigme (1926-1952), continued his father's moderation and centralization efforts by building more schools and roads and bringing public institutions under government control. Two generations later, the third ruler, King Jigme Dorji (1952-1972), established a high court, introduced a bicameral legislative branch, set up a planning commission, and created the Council of Ministers. The sudden death of the third king brought his son, King Jigme Singye (1972-2006), to power, and, like his forefathers, King Jigme Singye continued his father's legacy. In 2006, the fourth King abdicated in favor of his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel, who started a top-down democratic process. In July 2008, Bhutan's political system changed from an absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of government. Bhutan has four ethnic groups: the Ngalops (westerners), the Sharchop (easterners), aboriginal people, and the Lhotshampa (southerners). The Ngalops migrated from Tibet to Bhutan around the ninth century. They introduced Tibetan culture and Mahayana Buddhism to Bhutan. The Ngalops are the majority in central, western, and northern Bhutan, and they dominate cultural, religious, and political elements in modern Bhutan. The Sharchops are thought to have originated from Assam, in present-day India, or '.0 K~:>

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