KATHMANDU: Leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay has officially started his second term as prime minister on Sunday, following elections earlier this month.
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck handed a scarf to Tobgay, to mark his appointment formally, according to a statement posted on his official Facebook page.
He is Bhutan’s fourth freely elected Prime Minister since democracy was established in the Himalayan state 15 years ago.
A former bureaucrat and an advocate for Bhutan’s Buddhist culture, Tobgay, 58 was prime minister of the country from 2013 to 2018. He was also the leader of the opposition in the parliament after the first free vote in 2008 until 2013.
Bhutan is a country of less than 800,000 people, located between China and India. The Himalayan nation is known for its Gross National Happiness (GNH) index, an economic gauge that takes into account factors such as recreation and emotional well-being.
Tobgay faces challenge of revamping economy
However, Tobgay faces the challenge of revamping the $3 billion economy after the COVID-19 pandemic and creating jobs to stop young Bhutanese people from going abroad, mainly to Australia, in pursuit of better employment opportunities.
Bhutan has strong economic and cultural links with India, which is also its largest trade partner and Tobgay has already it clear to maintain a strong ties with the country.
The country has no formal diplomatic relations with China but is in talks with Beijing to resolve border disputes.
