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BHUTANEasy lies head that wears crown The government-owned newspaper Kuensel reported Dec. 18 that King Jigme Singye Wangchuck had told a crowd gathered in the isolated town of Trashi Yangtse, a three-day drive from the capital, Thimpu, that he will step down as ruler and hold the country's first national democratic elections in 2008. He will be succeeded by his son, the crown prince. It was not immediately clear what form the new government would take as the king gave no specifics on how much power would remain in the hands of the palace. A draft constitution, in the making since 2001, would end almost 100 years of monarchical rule in the tiny Buddhist nation of 700,000 people tucked in the mountains between India and China. It provides for two houses of Parliament -- a 75-member National Assembly and a 25-member National Council. The king would become head of state under that plan, but Parliament could still impeach him by a two-thirds vote.
The Japan Times Weekly: Dec. 24, 2005 |
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