Royalists win Bhutan’s first elections

THIMPHU, Bhutan – Long known as a quirky holdout from modernity, the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan ended a century of absolute monarchy Monday by electing a staunch royalist as its first prime minister.

So it is in Bhutan, maybe the first country in history where a king had to convince his people that democracy was a good idea.

Known by its people as the Land of the Thunder Dragon, Bhutan’s snowcapped peaks and mountainside monasteries have long intrigued Westerners. But the kingdom is, in many ways, a strikingly conformist place where self-promotion and confrontation are frowned upon.

Just a few months ago, criticism of high officials was unimaginable to many here. Now they’re wondering what will become of their Precious Ruler.

“There was much resistance when His Majesty told us that we must decide our future if Bhutan was to prosper,” said Karma Dorji, a 55-year-old civil servant.

That order came in late 2006, and Bhutan was already prospering. Its average income of $1,400 was twice neighboring India’s, and nearly all its people had access to schools and hospitals.

Such success contrasts sharply with South Asian countries like Nepal or Bangladesh, which often seem like case studies in democracy gone wrong.

But “we have come to see that this is an opportunity he has given us because he is farsighted and wise,” Dorji said. Still, he added, “We prefer our king.”

So does the new prime minister, Jigmi Kinley, who twice served as premier under royal rule. Kinley’s Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party took 44 of the 47 parliament seats. Kinley is likely to be named prime minister soon.

The king, 28-year-old Jigme Keshar Namgyal Wangchuck, will remain head of state and retain much influence.