The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Lhaki Dolma, it turns out not only charmed the national audience with her acting prowess but could also secure the faith and trust of the people of Punakha with her articulate oratory skills and her years of profound experiences in various fields. She won by a huge margin after securing a total of 2,333 tentative votes out of which 1,627 votes were through EVM and 706 through postal ballots.
“I think I must have won their hearts with my pledges after they found it more realistic, considering that I’ve secured the highest not only through EVM counts but also through the postal ballots. And what I also feel is that people of Punakha felt it a high time to elect a woman representative, I am truly grateful for every support rendered thus far,” said Lhaki.
Lhaki Dolma holds a BA degree from College of Language & Cultural Studies and a Post-Graduate degree from the Royal Institute of Management. She worked in the Ministry of Agriculture before pursuing an independent film career as a writer, director, producer and an actor.
Her focus lies in making Punakha one of the vibrant dzongkhags in the country. “The temperate climate of Punakha makes it ideal for food production. If the scarcity of water is solved Punakha can be the food bowl for Thimphu where fresh, organic and year-round agriculture products can flow in. This would fuel rural entrepreneurship of not just farm products but also small scale agro-industries. So I would like to work towards achieving this dream,” said Lhaki Dolma among several other ambitious priorities.
Lhaki Dolma said that she is overwhelmed by the results and would like to thank the voters for their trust and confidence in her and for not electing a candidate based on gender.
There were a total of 8 candidates from Punakha including two women candidates. The other candidates Tshencho Wangdi secured a total of 1,511 votes, Namgay Wangchuk secured 1,471 votes, Sonam secured 1267 votes, Dechen Thaiye Dorji secured 727, Kinley Wangchuk secured 1,207 votes, Rinchen Dorji secured 507 votes and the other woman candidate Dechen Zangmo secured 995 votes.
