The Election Commission of Bhutan says all parties must have 47 candidates confirmed for the primary round of elections. The political parties, meanwhile, say finding quality candidates is challenging.
Lily Wanggchuk, the President of Druk Chirwang Tshogpa (DCT) says, “That is the big challenge and we are at crossroads. We are not sure whether we should go with those who are available or whether we should keep on aiming for the best candidates because we are also running out of time; the most competent are not ready to come forward”. DCT has 30 candidates confirmed, so far.
The Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party (BKP) has 42 candidates confirmed. The President, Sonam Tobgay, says finding the candidates required hard-work and dedication, and that the party is confident that they will have 47 candidates for the primary round.
The Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) has 40 confirmed candidates. The party, however, says it was difficult to find candidates in certain constituencies. Dr. Tandin Dorji, a DNT candidate, shares finding people in Gasa was challenging due to a limited number of graduates.
