Due to the COVID-19 situation, authorities in Bumthang have increased the number of common forums to avoid crowding for the ongoing Chhoekhor_Tang bye-election. In a similar move, the candidates’ familiarisation tours have also been cancelled for this very first election in the country amid the pandemic.
Electoral and Dzongkhag officials conduct voter education alongside candidates trying to rope in more supporters. Facemasks and physical distancing are a mandatory feature of the forums.
“As per the COVID-19 Task Force’s recommendation, we are conducting common forums in 24 areas to ensure there is no overcrowding. We have scheduled two sessions a day,” said Pasang Dorji, the Bumthang Dzongda who is also the Chief Election Coordinator in the district.
Sports have also been temporarily restricted in the constituency currently.
“We are disallowing all sporting events in Chhoekhor and Tang because gathering and alcohol consumption mostly happen at such events. Sports will be suspended until this election is over,” he added.
Despite the pandemic, authorities are hoping for an increased voter turnout compared to the constituency’s 79 per cent turnout in the 2018 General Election. Postal voting has been given high priority. Out of the 6,219 eligible voters, almost 25 per cent registered for postal voting, of which 133 of them are overseas.
To facilitate overseas voting, the Election Commission appointed an Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) in Australia, which has almost a hundred postal voters. A counting centre will be set up at the ARO’s office in Perth and the result will be transmitted to Bumthang. Voters will have to send their ballots to the ARO’s postal address, which will be mailed to them by tomorrow. All the ballots already posted to Bumthang from Australia will not be counted but ECB will refund the charges incurred.
Kipchu
