Rinzin during one of his campaigns in Lhuentse
For the people of Lhuentse, the heartland of the Royal dynasty, it was a straightforward election, to accept or not the dzongkhag’s only candidate to the National Council.
The dzongkhag elected Rinzin, 39, from Goenpa Karp in Khoma gewog, notably famed for its weavers and special textiles and fabrics, generally considered to be the best in the country. Lhuentse dzongkhag, about 77 kilometers from Mongar, saw only 4,046 voters of 12,041 registered at its 38 polling stations. 148 were postal ballots.
Of the total votes cast, 3,308 pushed the ‘yes’ button. Only two postal ballots out of 148 were against him.
The voter turnout, according to election officials, were affected by the cold and harsh weather. In some parts of the dzongkhag like Dungkar, Tsango and Gangla, voters were discouraged from walking up to their polling stations by the heavy snowfall.
Most voters Kuensel spoke to on their way to the polling stations said that, since they had no choice in candidates, they decided to elect the one who stepped forward and showed interest in the job.
