At stake in this election:

• 47 seats in the National Assembly (Gyelyong Tshogdu)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Jigme THINLEY **
• Assembly: Bhutan has a bicameral Parliament (Chi Tshog) consisting of the National Council (Gyelyong Tshogde) with 25 seats and the National Assembly (Gyelyong Tshogdu) with 47 seats.

** THINLEY is the acting Prime Minister until general elections are complete in July 2013.

Description of electoral system:

• The King is hereditary head of state.
• Prime Minister is appointed by the monarch.
• In the National Council (Gyelyong Tshogde), 20 members are elected by majority vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms and 5 members are appointed by the monarch to serve 5-year terms*. In the National Assembly (Gyelyong Tshogdu) 47 members are elected by majority vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms.**

* Members of the upper house National Council cannot belong to any political party.

** Members of the lower house National Assembly represent political parties.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT)
  • Leader: Jigme Y. THINLEY
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 15
  • Seats won in last National Assembly election: 45
• Party: People's Democratic Party (PDP)
  • Leader: Tshering TOBGAY
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 32
  • Seats won in last National Assembly election: 2

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 716,896 (July 2012 )
• Registered Voters: 381,790 (July 2013 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 349,158 (2013)

·         Is Bhutan a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Bhutan ratified CEDAW: Yes (31 August 1981)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 3 (National Assembly); 2 (National Council) (following 2013 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 132 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Bhutan a signatory to CRPD: Yes (21 September 2010)

·         Has Bhutan ratified CRPD: No

·         Population with a disability: 107,534 (est.)