Bhutanese brave mountains and monsoon for election
BHUTAN: Voters in Bhutan braved heavy rain and treacherous mountain
paths to cast their ballots on Friday as the "land of the thunder
dragon" began electing a government for only the second time.
Wearing traditional dress and sheltering under umbrellas, Bhutanese
queued patiently at polling stations in the isolated Himalayan nation in
the first round of voting to determine the lower house of parliament.
"There are so many pledges in their (politicians') manifestos but
basically what we expect is a government that can bring about happiness
to the people and at the same time economic development," said Chimi
Dorji, 35, as he waited to vote in Dopshari village, about an
hour-and-a-half drive from the capital Thimphu.
"Because without economic prosperity there can't be happiness," he
added. Bhutan is the only country in the world to pursue "Gross National
Happiness", a development model that measures the mental as well as
material well-being of citizens.
Other policies that set the country apart include banning television
until 1999 and keeping out mass tourism to shield its Buddhist culture
from foreign influence.
AFP
|