Bhutan and Democracy
The very tiny monarchy on Bhutan has slowly become a democratic constitutional monarchy. Since 1999 Bhutan has been moving towards democracy through an incredibly well-paced, peaceful and inclusive process.
Notable for their use of Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product as a measurement of the state’s performance, they are increasingly notable for the steps taken to democratize the kingdom.
The fifth dragon King of Bhutan and “monarch hottie” Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck now oversees the democratization process started in 1999 by his father. At 28, he is the world’s youngest monarch.
Mother Jones interviewed him for an article on the move to democracy:
As we sat on the grounds surrounding Tashichhodzong, the fortress that serves as the government seat, in a pavilion swathed in bright yellow fabric, Jigme explained the extraordinary measures the government was taking to encourage fair and wide participation among his subjects: posters all over the countryside explaining “Fair Play Politics” and “Things to Remember on Poll Day,” and urging the importance of participation by everyone in the democratic process; electronic voting machines delivered to remote locations by helicopter; and observers from inside, outside, the EU, the UN. The government also enacted laws requiring employers to give time off on election day and gave daily cash allowances for voters from some far-off villages “to compensate for the minimum number of days required for them to travel to and from” voting stations. The millions in efforts Bhutan pumped into the election ultimately paid off; 80% of the electorate cast votes last week.
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