View source for National Council (Bhutan)

{{Infobox legislature
| name              = National Council
| native_name   = {{lang|dz|རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཚོགས་སྡེ་}}<br /><small>{{nobold|''Gyelyong Tshogde''}}</small>
| coa_pic           = Bhutan National Council.png
| coa_caption       = 
| session_room      = 
| house_type        = [[Non-partisan]] [[upper house]]
| leader1_type      = Chairperson
| leader1           = [[Sangay Dorji]]
| election1         = 10 May 2023
| leader2_type      = 
| leader2           = 
| election2         = 
| party1            = 
| members           = 25
| term_length       = 5 years
| structure1        = Conseil national bhoutan 2007.svg
| structure1_res    = 250px
| political_groups1 = 
{{Legend|#DDDDDD|[[Independent politician|Non-partisan]] (20)}}
{{Legend|#FFFFFF|Appointed (5)}}
| voting_system1    = 20 seats by [[first-past-the-post]], 5 nominated by the [[Druk Gyalpo]]
| last_election1    = [[2023 Bhutanese National Council election|20 April 2023]]
| meeting_place     = Gyelyong Tshokhang, [[Thimphu]]
| website           = [http://www.nationalcouncil.bt/ Official Website of the National Council of Bhutan]
}}
{{Politics of Bhutan}}

The '''National Council''' is the [[upper house]] of [[Bhutan]]'s [[bicameralism|bicameral]] [[Parliament of Bhutan|Parliament]], which also comprises the [[Druk Gyalpo]] (Dragon King) and the [[National Assembly (Bhutan)|National Assembly]].

While sharing similarities to the [[Rajya Sabha]] of neighbouring India and the upper houses of other bicameral [[Westminster system|Westminster-style]] parliaments, it cannot author monetary or budget-related bills, differing from others, its twenty Members are elected by the people of the twenty districts in a multi-layered election process with each block electing a nominee for the final district level elections. Besides creating and reviewing [[Bhutanese legislation]], the National Council acts as the house of review on matters affecting the security, sovereignty, or interests of Bhutan that need to be brought to the notice of the Druk Gyalpo, the [[Prime Minister of Bhutan|Prime Minister]] and the National Assembly. Twenty members of the first Council were elected in the [[Bhutanese National Council election, 2007–2008|first ever elections]] for the Council held on December 31, 2007 and January 29, 2008.

==Membership==
The National Council consists of twenty-five members. Twenty members are elected by the electorates of the twenty districts using [[first-past-the-post]], while five members are nominated by the Druk Gyalpo. The members cannot belong to any political party and must have graduated from a recognised university.<ref name=CoBE>{{cite web |url=http://www.constitution.bt/TsaThrim%20Eng%20(A5).pdf |format=PDF |title=Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan (English) |publisher=Government of Bhutan |date=2008-07-18 |access-date=2010-10-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706162637/http://www.constitution.bt/TsaThrim%20Eng%20%28A5%29.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-06}}</ref> (Art. 11)

The members of the first National Council were generally young, many of them aged below 40. This is reportedly<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7193818.stm "Main Bhutan election date is set"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227045917/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7193818.stm |date=2008-12-27 }}, Subir Bhaumik, [[BBC]], January 17, 2008</ref> because only persons holding a degree were allowed to be candidates, and that access to formal education is relatively recent in Bhutan.

==Chairpersons==
Complete list of the chairpersons of the National Council.
{|class="wikitable"
!Name
!Took office
!Left office
!Notes
|-
|Namgay Penjore <br/>(b. 1966)
|29 April 2008
|28 April 2013
|<ref name="pastchairmen">{{cite web |title=Past Chairpersons |url=http://www.nationalcouncil.bt/en/content/past_chairpersons |website=National Council of Bhutan |access-date=2023-12-03 |archive-date=2019-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416131701/https://www.nationalcouncil.bt/en/content/past_chairpersons |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://apfanews.com/stories/penjore-is-nc-chairman-politics.html |title=Penjore is NC chairman (Politics) |date=April 29, 2008 |access-date=December 3, 2023 |archive-date=November 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112191615/http://apfanews.com/stories/penjore-is-nc-chairman-politics.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|[[Sonam Kinga]]<br/>(b. 1973)
|10 May 2013
|9 May 2018
|<ref name="pastchairmen" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=27215 |title=Dasho Dr. Sonam Kinga elected NC Chairperson |date=May 10, 2013 |access-date=December 3, 2023 |archive-date=August 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805094542/http://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=27215 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|[[Tashi Dorji]]<br/>(b. 1981)
|10 May 2018
|10 May 2023
|<ref name="ipu2018onwards" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Hon. Tashi Dorji |url=https://www.nationalcouncil.bt/en/member/member_detail/24 |website=National Council of Bhutan |access-date=2023-12-03 |archive-date=2020-12-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205091131/https://www.nationalcouncil.bt/en/member/member_detail/24 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|[[Sangay Dorji]]<br/>(b. 1981)
|10 May 2023
|Incumbent
|<ref name="ipu2018onwards">{{cite web |title=Bhutan Gyelyong Tshogde (National Council) |url=https://data.ipu.org/parliament/bt?chamber_id=13343 |website=Parline: the IPU’s Open Data Platform |access-date=2023-12-03 |archive-date=2023-09-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230919215155/https://data.ipu.org/parliament/bt?chamber_id=13343 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}

==History==
The National Council was preceded by the Royal Advisory Council (''Lodey Tshogdey''), mentioned in [[Bhutanese legislation]] as early as 1953.<ref name="csus">{{cite web |date=2007-05-24 |title=Bhutan – Structure of the Government |url=http://countrystudies.us/bhutan/46.htm |access-date=2011-01-02 |work=Country Studies |publisher= |archive-date=2011-10-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111012061034/http://countrystudies.us/bhutan/46.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> From the outset, members of the Royal Advisory Council were concurrently members of the unicameral National Assembly (the [[Tshogdu]]; cf. Bhutan's modern [[National Assembly (Bhutan)|National Assembly]]). The Royal Advisory Council was formally established in 1965 to advise the Druk Gyalpo and ministers and to supervise the implementation of programs and policies enacted by the National Assembly.<ref name=cms/> The Royal Advisory Council came to be a consultative and advisory body. Six members of the National Council were elected democratically, two were elected by the clergy, and one was nominated by the Druk Gyalpo to function as chair.<ref name=csus/><ref name=cms/> Monk representatives, according to 1979 regulations for Council membership, were required to be literate and "highly knowledgeable about the [[Drukpa Kagyu|Drukpa Kargyupa]] religion".<ref name=csus/> Monk nominees were subject to the approval of the speaker of the National Assembly. The regional representatives were elected by the National Assembly from a list endorsed by village assemblies.<ref name=csus/> They were required to be literate, knowledgeable about Bhutanese traditional culture and customs.<ref name=csus/> As the principal consulting body to the Druk Gyalpo, the Royal Advisory Council was a key state organization and interacted most directly with the National Assembly.<ref name=csus/>

The first Cabinet of Bhutan consisted of the Royal Advisory Council along with the Council of Ministers (now the [[Council of Ministers (Bhutan)|Lhengye Zhungtshog]]).<ref name=cms/> Its members were collectively responsible to His Majesty the King and the National Assembly ([[Tshogdu]]).<ref name=cms>{{cite web |url=http://www.cmseducation.org/wconsts/bhutan.html |title=Constitution of Bhutan |work=Constitutions of All Countries |publisher=City Montessori School |location=[[Lucknow]], [[India]] |date=2008-07-22 |access-date=2011-01-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223040655/http://www.cmseducation.org/wconsts/bhutan.html |archive-date=2009-12-23}}</ref>

The National Council was established in 2008 under Article 11 of the [[Constitution of Bhutan]], which does not mention the Royal Advisory Council. The subsequent National Council Act of 2008 codified the National Council's independent statutory basis.<ref name=NCAct>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalcouncil.bt/images/stories/NC_Act_08_Eng.pdf |format=PDF |title=National Council Act 2008 |publisher=[[Government of Bhutan]] |year=2008 |access-date=2011-01-02}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Part of this framework included an explicit repeal of "all other laws in relation to the Royal Advisory Council".<ref name=NCAct/> The National Council Act sets forth qualifications; meeting, presentment, debate, and voting procedures; committee and rulemaking authority; and censure, removal, and other penalties for the members of the National Council.<ref name=NCAct/> The Act also establishes a chairperson, a deputy chairperson, and a royally appointed Secretary General for the administration of the National Council.<ref name=NCAct/>

The first joint sitting of [[Parliament of Bhutan|Parliament]], including the National Council, was held from May 8 to May 30, 2008. The first session of the National Council was held from June 17 to July 24, 2008.<ref name=NCsite>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalcouncil.bt/index.php/about-us.html |title=About Us |work=National Council of Bhutan online |publisher=[[Government of Bhutan]] |access-date=2011-01-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100726145116/http://www.nationalcouncil.bt/index.php/about-us.html |archive-date=2010-07-26}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Parliament of Bhutan]]
** [[National Assembly (Bhutan)|National Assembly of Bhutan]]
* [[Tshogdu]]
* [[Constitution of Bhutan]]
* [[Politics of Bhutan]]
* [[Bhutanese legislation]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* {{cite web |url=http://www.nationalcouncil.bt/ |title=National Council of Bhutan |publisher=Government of Bhutan |access-date=2010-12-29}}

{{National upper houses}}
{{Bhutan topics}}

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[[Category:National Council (Bhutan)| ]]
[[Category:Parliament of Bhutan]]
[[Category:National upper houses|Bhutan]]
[[Category:2007 establishments in Bhutan]]