Parliament of Bhutan

The Parliament of Bhutan (Dzongkha: རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཚོགས་ཁང་ gyelyong tshokhang) is the group that helps make important decisions for the country of Bhutan. It includes the King of Bhutan and a special group called a bicameral parliament. This bicameral parliament has two parts: an upper house called the National Council and a lower house called the National Assembly.

Before 2007, Bhutan had a different system called a unicameral Tshogdu. In 2007, Bhutan changed to this new system, and the first people to join the new parliament began their work in 2008. This change helped Bhutan build a modern government that mixes traditional leadership with new ideas.

Composition of Parliament

The National Council of Bhutan is the upper house in the bicameral legislature. It has 25 members: one elected from each of the 20 dzongkhags (districts) and 5 chosen by the King under election laws. The National Council meets at least twice a year. It elects a Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson from its members. Members and candidates for the National Council cannot belong to any political party.

The National Assembly of Bhutan is the lower house. It has up to 47 members elected by citizens from areas within each dzongkhag, following election laws. Each area is represented by one member, and each dzongkhag has between 2–7 members. The National Assembly also meets at least twice a year and elects a Speaker and Deputy Speaker from its members. Members and candidates can belong to political parties.

The King of Bhutan also has important roles. He reviews and approves bills to make them law and can call national referendums when needed, also under election laws. The Constitution explains how the government leaders are chosen based on the results of Parliamentary elections. The King picks the leader of the party that wins the most seats in the National Assembly to be the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister can serve only two terms. Other leaders, called Ministers, are chosen from National Assembly members by the King based on the Prime Minister's advice. All Ministers must be citizens born in Bhutan, and no more than two Ministers can come from the same dzongkhag.

Parliamentary powers and procedure

The National Council and National Assembly follow rules set by the Constitution and special laws called the National Council Act and the National Assembly Act. These laws explain how the groups work, like when they need enough members to meet and how they vote.

One main job of Parliament is to make laws, or bills. Either the upper house National Council, the lower house National Assembly, or the Attorney General can create bills. However, only the National Assembly can make bills about money and finances. All bills must be shared between both houses of Parliament. If a bill is not voted on before the end of a session, it can still pass by default. Bills about budgets or urgent issues must be voted on in the same session. The King can veto or change bills, but if both houses agree after a joint meeting, the King must approve the bill.

Parliament also has other important powers. It can change Bhutan’s borders and its internal areas, like Dzongkhags and Gewogs, if at least 75% of members agree. Parliament watches over local governments, including Dzongkhag Tshogdus, Gewog Tshogdes, and Thromdes. The National Assembly can also vote to remove the Government if at least two-thirds of its members support it. If this happens, the King will dismiss the Government.