The Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) would like to inform the general public that the term of office of the Thromde Tshogdes of Gelephu, Phuentshogling, and Thimphu will be completing as follows:
1.Gelephu on 27 May 2026; and
2. Phuentshogling and Thimphu on 6 June 2026.
Accordingly, the preparations for the conduct of the Thromde Elections in Phuentshogling and Thimphu Dzongkhag Thromdes are underway in keeping with the requirement to ensure that the Thromde Tshogdes are duly reconstituted within ninety days of the expiry of their respective terms. Elections in Gelephu Thromde are not being called given its self administered nature under the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) Authority.
Towards the elections to Thromde Tshogdes in Phuentshogling and Thimphu, the members of the general public are being informed that the ECB will conduct the Functional Literacy and Possession of Skills Test (FLT) on 22 May 2026 for aspiring candidates intending to contest for the post of Thromde Tshogde Tshogpa in these two Thromdes. The online registration process to sit for the FLT will remain open from 29 April to 19 May 2026 (5:00 PM).
With greater decentralization and expanded decision-making authority of Local Governments, the ability of local leaders to engage effectively in policy, planning and public service delivery, underlined by strong administrative and leadership capabilities has become the need of the hour. In view of these evolving functional requirements and taking into consideration public feedback on the need for enhanced capacity, the FLT has therefore been revised.
The revised FLT comprises two components, namely, Functional Competency Assessment (FCA) and Functional Competency Engagement (FCE), mainly aimed at aligning the competencies and functional skills required for effective local leadership with public service delivery in an increasingly digital governance environment. To meet these evolving demands, the revised FLT adopts a competency-based approach for assessing basic computational, communication and digital skills, in addition to functional capacity, based on the premise provided by Section 178(d) of the Election Act, 2008.
Eligible registered voters of the respective Thromdes, intending to contest for the post of Thromde Tshogde Tshogpa, are required to complete their registration within the stipulated timeline using the link https://tinyurl.com/FLTRegistration. Registered individuals can confirm their registration status and the assigned venue(s) for the test by visiting the ECB website (www.ecb.bt) or at the respective Dzongkhag Election Offices after 20 May 2026, i.e. after the close of registration.
The Commission would also like to clarify that individuals who already have FLT certificates issued by the ECB in the past, will not be required to take the test for Thromde Tshogde Tshogpa of Phuentshogling and Thimphu Thromdes. However, they are required to obtain the new Certificates, issued for use in the upcoming Thromde Elections and its term only, from the respective Dzongkhag Election Offices after 26 May 2026.
The FLT for the candidates aspiring to contest the Local Government elections to the Gewog Tshogdes and Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde early next year will be notified to the public in due course of time.
Chief Election Commissioner of Bhutan
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