Bhutan goes to polls to end monarchy

Thousands of Bhutanese are voting today to elect a National Council, the final stage before democratic elections that will end nearly 100 years of absolute monarchy in the secluded Himalayan country.

The vote caps a whirlwind year of transformation for the tiny kingdom since the monarch declared last December he was abdicating in favour of his 26-year-old son and ushering in democracy. Since then, the people of Bhutan have voted twice in mock elections to ensure they understand the process.

Today, more than 300,000 people were expected to vote for members of the National Council, a small group of eminent Bhutanese, which will act as an upper house after parliament is elected in February, said Kunzang Wangdi, Bhutan’s chief election commissioner.

The vote will choose 15 of the council’s 20 elected representatives. Five more will be elected at the end of January – a delay caused by a lack of candidates-- and five others will be appointed by the king.

There were 43 candidates for the 15 spots in today’s vote. However, not everyone was eligible to stand for election.