Bhutan opposition MPs resign in protest

Updated March 31, 2008 19:29:45

The March 24 elections the polls made Bhutan the world's newest democracy, ending more than a century of absolute rule. [Reuters]

Opposition politicians in Bhutan have asked the country's Election Commission to investigate allegations of possible illegal last-minute campaigning by the party that won the majority in last week's elections.

The opposition People's Democratic Party won just two seats in the new 47-seat national assembly, in the polls that made Bhutan the world's newest democracy, after more than a century of absolute monarchy.

Both the two winning candidates resigned their seats in protest on Friday.

The Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) or Bhutan United Party, headed by ex-premier Jigmi Thinley, won an overwhelming landslide victory in the elections, to the surprise of many analysts, who had been predicting a close race.

"We feel that in a number of constituencies the balance may have been tilted due to last-minute campaigning," party spokesman Tashi Tsering said.

"We knew elections were going to be very competitive," Mr Tsering added.

"We knew there was a possibility of losing, but not by the margin we experienced."

The PDP has told state media it received reports from several districts that campaigning by the DPT continued in the two days before the March 24 vote, in violation of election rules.

The opposition party has until April 4 to file a petition.

The head of Bhutan's Election Commission, Kunzang Wangdi, has said the polls were viewed as "a free and fair election by the media, by everybody".

More than 40 international observers monitored the elections, which have been praised by both the European Union and the United States for meeting international standards.