The two recently elected Members of the Parliament (MP), Karma Lhamo from Monggar and Karma Dorji from Nganglam constituencies formally joined office today. Administered by the Chief Justice, they took the oath of affirmation in the National Assembly hall.
Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa won the bye-elections in both the Monggar and Nganglam constituencies. MP Karma Lhamo from Monggar secured around 4,100 votes out of more than 6,100 votes cast. She swept almost all five gewogs in the Monggar constituency except Chhaling. During the 2018 Parliamentary elections, she lost the Monggar and Drepoong Gewogs by a small margin to Dasho Sherub Gyeltshen.
According to voters, her pledges, experience and the ruling party factor attributed to her win.
The bye-election for the Monggar constituency was held following the resignation of Dasho Sherub Gyeltshen in May.
Meanwhile, MP Karma Dorji from Nganglam is one of the founding members of the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa. He secured around 3,000 votes from around 5,200 votes cast during the bye-election. He contested and lost in the 2018 parliamentary elections by securing only 1,976 votes from the total 5,552 votes.
According to voters in Nganglam, his pledges to construct a 50-bedded hospital with X-ray and endoscopy in Nganglam and to address the acute water shortage in the gewog through the government’s Nu 3bn water flagship programme won over most of the undecided voters.
The Nganglam constituency was vacant after MP Choida Jamtsho passed away from probable food poisoning in April.
The bye-elections were held on 29th June.
Tshering Zam
Edited by Sonam
