Bhutan – the road to democracy

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Elżbieta Jabłońska

Abstract

The text attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of the most important events and factors which have influenced the establishment of democracy in the Kingdom of Bhutan. On March 2008, Bhutan officially transformed from absolute monarchy to a modern constitutional monarchy by the successful conduct of its first parliamentary elections and the promulgation of the Constitution. Fourth King of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Singhye Wangchuck (referred to as “the father of democratic Bhutan”), finalized a long -term vision of democratization and decentralization by giving executive power to the Council of Ministers (Lhengye Zhungtshog). Both the moral foundation, the idea of Gross National Happiness (GNH)  and enlightened monarchy has been the factor that determines and organizes the social and political life in Bhutan. GNH assumes that the real development is possible only when there is a balance between economic, social, emotional, spiritual and cultural needs. The Bhutan’s way to democracy is undoubtedly successful and the hard political work which has been ongoing for years, is still evolving.

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How to Cite
Jabłońska, E. (2014). Bhutan – the road to democracy. Kwartalnik Kolegium Ekonomiczno-Społecznego. Studia I Prace, (1), 173–189. https://doi.org/10.33119/KKESSiP.2014.1.8
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