The election of Opposition nominee Tempa Dorji as Speaker has not only surprised the country but also taken Bhutan’s political discourse into new and unexpected territory from the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nominee and the role of eight ruling-party MPs to online discussions over Health Minister Tandin Wangchuk’s resignation and the future of Dr Tek Bdr Rai, who was reported as successor to the health portfolio.
Responding to the questions, Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk said he had never resigned as Health Minister. Further, the Minister attributed his defeat to eight PDP MPs who appeared to have placed their personal expectations of portfolios ahead of the Party, its leadership and the supporters who gave the party its mandate.
On questions surrounding Shompangkha MP Dr Tek Bdr Rai, Lyonpo said he had seen the reports in the media but had no official information or basis to comment on them.
Eight Members Vote against Lyonpo
Lyonpo Tandin was unequivocal when asked why he lost the Speaker’s election to opposition nominee Tempa Dorji by a single vote.
“I think eight of our PDP MPs appeared to have placed their personal expectations of portfolios ahead of the Party, the Leader, and the supporters who gave us the mandate,” he said.
“I Have Never Resigned”
Addressing speculation surrounding his status as Health Minister, particularly reports and references to him as a “former minister” even before the Speaker’s election, Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk was categorical: he had never resigned from the post of Health Minister.
He said neither the Constitution nor the National Assembly Act requires a sitting Cabinet Minister to resign from the ministerial post before contesting for the Speakership, nor does either law bar a serving minister from being nominated or elected as Speaker. The legal requirement, he said, is that a person cannot simultaneously hold and exercise two offices.
Lyonpo pointed to Article 12(3) of the Constitution, which states that whenever the office of Speaker becomes vacant, the National Assembly shall elect a Speaker “from among its members.” A Cabinet Minister remains an elected Member of Parliament and, therefore, falls within this constitutional requirement. The Constitution, he said, does not stipulate that a minister must first relinquish the ministerial portfolio before being nominated or contesting for the post of Speaker.
“My reading is a serving minister can be nominated and elected while still formally a minister, but if elected, he cannot continue functioning as both minister and Speaker. He should resign from the ministerial office before taking the Speaker’s oath, receiving Dakyen, or exercising the Speaker’s functions,” Lyonpo said.
He further questioned why any issue of eligibility should be attributed solely to his candidacy when the House itself accepted his nomination and proceeded with the election.
If a serving minister is legally barred from contesting for the Speaker’s post, he said, accountability would not rest with the candidate alone. It would also extend to the Deputy Speaker who presided over the election and the MPs who participated in and voted in the process, since the House collectively accepted his eligibility to contest. “I believe the issue should be clarified strictly based on the Constitution and the National Assembly Act, rather than through political interpretation or social media speculation,” he said.
“The Nomination Came From the Party”
Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk also sought to clarify that his candidacy for Speaker was a party decision, not a personal bid for the post. He said that immediately after former Speaker Lungten Dorji received the Kasho approving his resignation on 15 August 2026, the PDP convened a meeting of all its MPs to discuss the vacant Speakership.
At the meeting, the Party President proposed Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk, citing his seniority, while also inviting the former Speaker to call on any other MPs who wished to come forward for the position.
However, some MPs requested more time to consider the matter and preferred to wait for the Party President, who was then on an official visit to Thailand. The party subsequently decided to reconvene.
“On 17 August, under the chairmanship of the Party President, all 31 PDP MPs met to elect our candidate through a secret ballot, with the EVM and ECB officials present,” Lyonpo said. He said the Party President explained the reasons for proposing him and made it clear that any eligible MP was free to come forward if they wished to represent the party. “He emphasized that this was an internal Party matter and that no one should hesitate to express their interest. He also stressed that, once the Party selected its candidate, all Party MPs should support that candidate in the National Assembly, as it was our party candidate,” he said.
According to Lyonpo, another candidate who had been proposed during the August 15 discussions subsequently declined to accept the nomination, leaving him as the sole candidate.
“I therefore became the sole candidate, accepted the nomination, and thanked the President and our MPs for the trust placed in me,” he said.
With no other candidate contesting the internal selection, the party initially considered holding a formal yes-or-no vote. However, Lyonpo said most MPs felt that a formal vote was unnecessary, given that he was the only candidate.
“Most MPs felt that a formal vote was unnecessary. They expressed their support and assured me that they would support the Party candidate in the National Assembly,” he said.
On speculation surrounding Shompangkha MP Dr Tek Bdr Rai and reports linking him to the Health Ministry, Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk said he had seen the reports but had no official information or basis to comment on the matter.
“I had seen the speculation in the media, but I had no official information or basis to comment on it,” he said.
He stressed that any decision concerning ministerial appointments rests with the appropriate authority and that he would not speculate on a matter for which he had no official information.
“Any decision concerning ministerial appointments is a matter for the appropriate authority, and I would not want to speculate or speak on behalf of the Government,” he said.
Sangay Rabten, Thimphu
