A total of 3,696 aspiring candidates have registered for the Functional Literacy and Possession of Skills Test (FLT), signalling strong interest in contesting Bhutan’s upcoming Local Government elections—but also revealing a persistent gender gap in grassroots political participation.
The latest figures from the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) show that 2,227 candidates have registered for Level 1, which covers the posts of Gup, Mangmi and Thromde Ngotshab, while 1,469 have registered for Level 2, covering Gewog Tshogpa and Thromde Tshogpa.
Men overwhelmingly dominate both levels. Of the Level 1 candidates, 1,973 are men and 254 are women. At Level 2, there are 1,072 men and 397 women. Overall, women account for just 17.6 percent of the 3,696 aspiring candidates, compared with 82.4 percent men.
The figures have grown sharply in the final days of registration. As of 7 August, the ECB had recorded 3,294 registrations, comprising 2,714 men and 580 women. The final figure represents an increase of 402 candidates before registration closed.
The numbers point to a sizeable pool of citizens seeking to enter local governance, where elected representatives will be responsible for decisions that directly affect communities—from local development planning and public services to infrastructure and community welfare.
But the gender imbalance remains striking. While women make up almost half of Bhutan’s population, fewer than one in five aspiring local election candidates are women. The disparity is particularly pronounced at Level 1, where only 254 of 2,227 candidates are women.
The figures could renew attention on the barriers that continue to limit women’s participation in elected local leadership and the need to create an environment in which more women feel able and encouraged to contest.
At the same time, the large number of registrations suggests that there is considerable interest in taking on leadership responsibilities at the grassroots level.
The ECB has also revised the FLT as part of efforts to ensure that aspiring local leaders possess the practical competencies required to perform their responsibilities effectively. The revised assessment focuses on functional competencies, including basic computational, communication and digital skills, moving the test beyond a narrow measure of literacy.
For the second phase of the Fourth Local Government Elections, FLT registration opened on 17 July and closed at 5 p.m. on 10 August 2026.
The written Functional Competency Assessment (FCA) is scheduled for 1 September, followed by the Functional Competency Evaluation (FCE) Viva-Voce from 2 to 4 September.
The test is being conducted for aspiring candidates from all Gewogs and Dzongkhag Thromdes, except Phuentshogling and Thimphu Thromdes, which held their elections separately earlier this year.
Candidates seeking to contest the posts of Gup, Mangmi, Thromde Ngotshab, Gewog Tshogpa and Thromde Tshogpa were required to register for the test.
Local governments are where many of the decisions affecting citizens most directly are made, placing considerable responsibility on elected representatives to understand local priorities, manage resources and deliver public services. The 3,696 registrations therefore represent more than a test-taking exercise. They mark the first step for thousands of Bhutanese aspiring to serve their communities.
The immediate challenge is for these candidates to demonstrate the competencies required for local leadership. The longer-term challenge is broader: to ensure that Bhutan’s local governments reflect the diversity of the communities they serve—including a much stronger presence of women.
Sangay Rabten, Thimphu
