Tens of thousands of people in Bhutan lined up on Saturday to elect a government in the tiny Himalayan nation’s second parliamentary elections.
An earlier round held in May eliminated three of five political parties, leaving Bhutan’s ruling Peace and Prosperity Party and the main opposition People’s Democratic Party to contest Saturday’s conclusive poll.
The remote nation of about 738,000 held its first election in 2008 after the king voluntarily reduced the monarchy’s role in running the country.
Chief Election Commissioner Kunzang Wangdi says election authorities have set up 850 polling stations, including in hard-to-reach mountain villages.
Nearly 382,000 people are eligible to elect a 47-member National Assembly, he said.
Long lines snaked out from polling stations, as people came out in droves to choose their representatives. Many held umbrellas to shield themselves in the bright sunlight as the country enjoyed a rare sunny day.
