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| A mock election campaign being staged in Paro College of Education |
(As the second parliamentary elections draw near, I thought we
might like to look back at how Bhutan prepared for the first parliamentary
elections. I wrote this article in March 2008 when mock elections were held )
The primary round of nation‐wide parliamentary mock
election is over and results are declared. The two winning parties, Druk Yellow
Party and Druk Red Party, will contest in the general elections in which votes
will be cast for candidates, not parties. The voter turnout of close to 51% is
encouraging, but not impressive. It was reported that elections went smoothly
despite some hiccups in some constituencies.
The success of any mock election, though, does not
rest with smooth voting and relaying of results. The important considerations
should be how our people voted and how much they understood the concept of
voting beyond the mechanical use of electronic voting machine. The purpose of
mock elections should go beyond sensitizing our people to the use of EVM and
voting procedures. The mock elections should inform our people of the basic
concepts of democracy like analysis of political agendas, choice of leadership,
exercise of their rights and, above all, the significance of going to the
polls.
