The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was the first Political Party to be registered in Bhutan.  PDP was registered in September 2007, to contest the first ever political elections in Bhutan in 2008.

The first Political Party to be formed, the architects were former Parliament members (previously local leaders known as ‘chimi’) who reasoned that representing their people in the Parliament was the best thing they knew to do.

However, the party lacked influential names, and Sangay Ngedup, the then Agriculture Minister, who considered the matter and eventually agreed to join. He was unanimously elected President of the party, and was the most senior official in the party.

PDP also approached several other prominent civil servants including Tshering Tobgay, a Harvard Graduate who was the director of a vocational training department in the government at that time.

PDP announced that six women will be contesting in the elections of the 47 seats available in Parliament. None of the women candidates won.

PDP lost disastrously to Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) in the elections, losing 45 out of 47 seats. Tshering Tobgay, from Sombaykha constituency in Haa, and Damcho Dorji from Goenkhatoe-Laya in Gasa were the only two members who managed to secure seats in the parliament.  Tshering Tobgay was named the Opposition Leader.

Even the party president lost in his own constituency. Analysts suggested that the unexpected results were due to the enormous popularity of the DPT president, Jigmi Y Thinley, and the presence of most of the former cabinet members in DPT.

PDP candidates struggled to get back into the workforce after PDP was unable to support them, and a year later, president Sangay Ngedup announced his resignation, nominating Tshering Tobgay to take his place. While several members expressed their dissatisfaction at this development, it was accepted as the only way forward, and Tshering Tobgay, who had steadily gained popularity as the only voice to refute the government in Parliament, took the reins of the Party as the new president.

Citing the weakness of the opposition in Parliament as an issue of major concern, Tshering Tobgay has been active in his role as an Opposition Leader, bringing out several of the government’s bad decisions to light, and once taking the government to court over an unconstitutional tax policy issue. The Party itself, however, lacking its founding president most candidates, has  stayed away from the spotlight.

While PDP has not confirmed participation in the next round of elections, it is expected to contest.