THIMPHU, Bhutan, Jan 9, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - The party of Bhutan's former prime 
minister Tshering Tobgay won general elections with nearly two-thirds of 
seats in parliament, local media reported Tuesday, based on preliminary 
results from each constituency.

Tobgay's People's Democratic Party (PDP) "wins the 2024 National Assembly 
general elections with 30 seats" while the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) took 
the remaining 17, The Bhutanese newspaper reported.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Election Commission, which is 
expected to release final results on Wednesday, according to an official 
timetable published ahead of the polls.

The election was dominated by serious economic challenges that have called 
into question the Himalayan kingdom's longstanding policy of prioritising 
"Gross National Happiness" over growth.

Both parties are committed to a constitutionally enshrined philosophy of a 
government that measures its success by the "happiness and well-being of the 
people".

Tobgay is now expected to become premier for the second time. He was leader 
of the opposition in Bhutan's first parliament when it was established in 
2008, soon after the start of the reign of the present king.

The 58-year-old, a former civil servant and a passionate conservation 
advocate who holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of 
Pittsburgh and a master's in public administration from Harvard, then served 
as prime minister from 2013 to 2018.

Some voters had to trek for days to cast their ballots in the landlocked 
mountain nation of about 800,000 people, similar in area to Switzerland.