Politics and Elections in Bhutan
Bhutan, like countries everywhere, is negotiating disruptive times. As a global pandemic, a war, and the impact of human activity on the ecology take a toll on societies across the globe, Bhutan, a landlocked country in South Asia, is also dealing with the uncertain times that are unsettling lives. But the outlook can be as stimulating as it is disruptive.
The country is undergoing major transformations in all aspects of governance to ride on the dramatic innovations of the 21st century. Against this background, the Autumn, 2023, issue of The Druk Journal comes on the eve of Bhutan’s fourth general election. Three general elections saw three different governments and, in early 2024, Bhutanese voters will elect a government which will serve a country negotiating yet another episode of change.
Besides graduating into a middle-income status Bhutan will take a giant stride from being a wary questioner of GDP-driven values into a special economic zone in a country aspiring for a “first world” standard of living.
The National Council elections in March vindicated the unpredictability of the Bhutanese voting trends and a majority of incumbent candidates were replaced by new faces. Now a record five political parties and an unprecedented number of politicians are building a new tempo in the National Assembly race.
Bhutan’s mainstream media as well as increasingly savvy social media users are playing a more critical role with every election for national governments. Local governments, with rising confidence and a record number of participants, are a growing force in governance.
TDJ will carry in depth articles on political ideology, the interaction among political parties, the electoral process, voter trends, as well as the roles and responsibilities of key elements of a democracy – Constitutional bodies, the media and social media, citizens, the bureaucracy.
With half the population being female, the disproportionate gender representation in parliament and positions of governance is an important topic in political discourse. Bhutanese society is discussing the need for a quota for women parliamentarians and questions like why do women not vote for women?
We ask contributors to be creative and think of innovative approaches we take a deep dive into the evolution of the Bhutanese political system.
Timeline
We call for contributions to the next issue of the Druk Journal on the theme of Politics in Bhutan
- Synopsis: Submit before 15th June 2023 – Submit your concept or synopsis (one or two paragraphs) to the editor, which will be reviewed, and sent back to the writer with feedback.
- First Draft: Start writing the first draft after receiving the synopsis review. Submit the first draft before 22nd August 2023 to the editor. Early drafts will have the advantage of more detailed comments. The editor reviews the first draft and sends it back to the writer for further improvement.
- Final Draft: The writer finalises the article with necessary editorial inputs and changes and submits it to the editor for final editing by the end of September 2023.
- Word Limit: 1,000-3,000 words (For research articles can go up to 4,500 words)
- Font: Adobe Caslon Pro
Note: Refer to our style guide thoroughly before writing to orient with the writing style of The Druk Journal.
Style Guide
The Druk Journal (TDJ) Style Guide
1. The structure of the journal
- The Theme: Each issue of TDJ will carry a theme that is contemporary, relevant, and important for Bhutan and Bhutanese society. It will be a journal of analytical, thought-provoking articles (between 1,500 and 3,000 words) looking at the theme from different perspectives. The length of research articles can be longer and determined in consultation with the editor.
- Each issue will contain a mix of approaches to the theme: a section of serious articles on the theme; articles looking at similar issues in other countries; interviews and book reviews on the theme.