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Bhutan GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS, BHUTAN
The Monarchy
The hereditary monarchy of Bhutan was established in
1907 after
300 years of dual theocratic-civil government
(see Establishment of the Hereditary Monarchy, 1907
, this ch.). The Druk
Gyalpo--the
king--is both head of state and head of government. In the
process
of coming to power, the first Druk Gyalpo, Ugyen
Wangchuck, who
reigned from 1907 to 1926, unified the nation, established
friendly
relations with Britain, and set his dynasty's political
agenda. As
of 1991, there had been three other hereditary monarchs:
Jigme
Wangchuck (1926-52), Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (1952-72), and
Jigme
Singye Wangchuck (since 1972). December 17, the
anniversary of the
day Ugyen Wangchuck became the first hereditary monarch in
1907, is
Bhutan's National Day.
Established as an absolute monarchy in 1907, Bhutan
first moved
toward a constitutional monarchy in 1953 with the
foundation of its
National Assembly. In 1963 the monarch's title was changed
from
"His Highness" to "His Majesty the Druk Gyalpo" in a move
to assert
a distinct Bhutanese identity. The Druk Gyalpo retained
veto power
over actions of the National Assembly until 1969 when the
National
Assembly, following his 1968 decree, became the kingdom's
sovereign
institution. After 1969, the National Assembly could
remove the
Druk Gyalpo the through a no-confidence vote, and he no
longer had
veto power. To secure the Wangchuck Dynasty, however,
should the
Druk Gyalpo be dethroned through a no-confidence vote, the
Wangchuck family member next in line of succession would
automatically take the throne. Also beginning in 1969, at
the
insistence of the Druk Gyalpo a "democratic monarchy" was
to be
determined through triennial votes of confidence in the
Druk
Gyalpo's rule.
In 1972 Jigme Singye Wangchuck succeeded his father,
Jigme
Dorji Wangchuck, who had involved the young prince in the
work of
government and had appointed him crown prince and
ponlop of
Tongsa only a few months before dying. After his accession
to the
throne in 1972, the new Druk Gyalpo was assisted by his
uncle,
Dasho (Prince) Namgyal Wangchuck, and his elder sisters,
Ashi Sonam
Chhoden Wangchuck and Ashi Dechen Wangmo Wangchuck, who
served in
the ministries of finance and development as the Druk
Gyalpo's
representatives. (Ashi Sonam Chhoden Wangchuck later
became
minister of finance.) Jigme Singye Wangchuck was formally
enthroned
in June 1974.
In 1979 Jigme Singye Wangchuck privately married four
sisters
who were descendants of two of the shabdrung, the
rulers of
the old dual system of government. In 1988, in order to
legitimize
the eventual succession to the throne for his oldest son,
Dasho
Jigme Gesar Namgyal Wangchuck, the Druk Gyalpo and his
four sisterqueens were married again in a public ceremony in Punakha.
At the
time of the public wedding, it was reported that the Druk
Gyalpo
lived in a small, simply furnished house, across from the
Tashichhodzong (Fortress of the Glorious Religion), the
year-round
central government complex in Thimphu. His four queens
each
maintained separate residences. The Druk Gyalpo's mother,
the
Dowager Queen Pemadechen (Ashi Kesang Dorji), continued to
reside
in the royal palace at Dechenchholing, living as a
Buddhist nun.
The Tashichhodzong, a stone-and-timber structure, has
thick
whitewashed walls, seven towers covered with red roofs,
and a
series of interior courtyards. The entire structure is
richly
ornamented. The current Tashichhodzong complex, which has
more than
100 rooms, was completed in 1969 after seven years of
construction
on the site of an older dzong of the same name.
Originally
built in the twelfth century, the Tashichhodzong had been
rebuilt
in the eighteenth century and required the 1962-69
reconstruction
because of damage over the centuries from fires and
earthquakes. It
also was the residence of the spiritual leader of Bhutan,
the Je
Khenpo, during the summer.
After coming to the throne in 1972, Jigme Singye
Wangchuck
became increasingly interested in economic development and
traveled
extensively throughout the country. He also has traveled a
great
deal outside of Bhutan, attending international meetings
and
personally representing his country in New Delhi on
frequent
occasions. A young, vigorous head of state unafraid to
break from
the bureaucracy and constraints of his office--including
his trips
to the countryside where the Druk Gyalpo could be seen
"serving the
people"--Jigme Singye Wangchuck presented the monarchy as
progressive and symbolic of national unity.
Data as of September 1991
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