97,921 cast vote in first two hours of polling

24 March, 2008 - Of the 318,465 voters on the electoral roll, 97,921 had cast their votes by around 11 am this morning in the National Assembly election according to officials of the election commission of Bhutan.

Polling began at 9 am in 865 polling stations across the country.

The highest voter turnout so far, in percentage, was at Lingmukha-Toewang Constituency under Punakha dzongkhag where 64.34 percent of the registered voters had cast their votes by 11 am. DPT’s Namgay Wangchuk and PDP’s Dr Tandin Dorji are contesting from this constituency, which has 5,320 registered voters.

In terms of number of people who voted, the highest was at Bongo-Chapcha Constituency under Chukha dzongkhag with 4,603 votes cast by 11 am. PDP’s Kinzang Dorji and DPT’s Ugay Tshering are contesting from this constituency, which has 10,443 registered voters.

Meanwhile, the lowest turnout in percentage was at Shompangkha constituency in Sarpang dzongkhag where only 12.23 percent of its 9,201 voters had polled by 11 am. DPT’s N L Rai is contesting against PDP’s Pejore Rumba from Shompangkha.

In actual numbers, the lowest turnout was at Goenkhatoe-Laya constituency under Gasa dzongkhag, where 261 of its 768 voters had cast their votes by 11 am. PDP’s Damcho Dorji and DPT’s Sangay Thinley Dorji are contesting from this constituency, which has the least number of registered voters.

Election commissioner Deki Pema said that said so far voting had been peaceful and smooth in all polling stations and there were no reports of untoward incidences so far.

There were, however, a few reports of voters going to the wrong polling station, showing up without the voter photo identity card (VPIC) and three voters had showed up in the wrong constituency.

Polls will close at 5 p.m and counting of the votes will begin. The election results will be broadcast live on BBS TV and Radio from the national counting center in Thimphu. The election commission will hold a press conference at 9 pm this evening on the results received from the constituency counting centres.

The results will be formally declared tomorrow at 8 am.

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