Almost two weeks after Bhutan's first parliamentary election, there is an unfamiliar rumble of discontent around the forests and mountainside monasteries of the “Land of the Thunder Dragon”.

When 28-year-old King Jigme forced his subjects to vote on March 24 he hoped to transform his Himalayan realm from one of the world's last absolute monarchies into a stable yet vibrant democracy.

Although Bhutan had no roads until 1960 and no television or internet until 1999, the Oxford-educated monarch believed that his 635,000 or so people were ready for the rough and tumble of electoral politics.

But a fortnight on, the plan appears to be going awry after a surprise election result that threatens to turn Bhutan into a one-party state and confirms many people's worst fears about democracy.

Such is their concern that, in a country with no history of political protest, hundreds of people gathered in Thimpu, the capital, on Wednesday to petition the “Dragon King” to bring back abolute monarchy.

“We are not ready for this kind of democracy,” said Kunzang Wangyal, a tour guide from Thimpu who joined the petitioners, 80 of whom were granted an audience with the King.

“We'd rather have His Majesty in charge than a group of politicians with no opposition,” Mr Wangyal, 42, told The Times by telephone.

Most Bhutanese had expected a close race between the two parties - the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) - which both pledged to continue the King's policies.

But the DPT, led by Jigmi Thinley, a former Prime Minister, stunned the nation by winning 45 out of 47 seats in the new parliament, giving it the power to change the constitution and even to sack the King. The PDP, led by Sangay Ngedup, the King's uncle, promptly accused the DPT of vote-buying and other dirty tricks and declared that its two members of parliament were resigning their seats.

Mr Ngedup, whose four sisters are all married to the King's father, offered to resign and other party leaders suggested that the party would dissolve.

Only after several days of backroom negotiations between party officials - and the King's aides - did the PDP agree to work as “a responsible and vocal” opposition in parliament.

“We felt that a parliament without any opposition would not be good for the country,” said Tashi Tsering, a PDP spokesman. “People feel democracy has been born,” he added. “They're not happy with the result, but we look like sore losers by withdrawing our candidates.”

The DPT has denied cheating and tried to reassure people that it will not abuse its overwhelming majority.

“The opposition will have a strong voice, which is crucial to a dynamic and vibrant democracy,” said Khandu-om Dorji, a DPT spokeswoman.

“But I think we won because we weren't promoting change, and people don't want change. None of us in our party ever wanted the monarchy to go.” The DPT is now preparing to form a government, at the invitation of the King, she said.

The question is whether it will be any more transparent, accountable or efficient than the monarchy, which has ruled for the past 100 years and engineered an economic boom, based on hydropower and high-end tourism, in the past ten.

Many Bhutanese say that they voted for the DPT because they viewed it as the “Establishment” party and believed that the King favoured Mr Thinley, who shaped the national ideology of Gross National Happiness.

Others say that they voted against the PDP because of rumours that Mr Ngedup's family had used its royal status to buy up land and property.

Once again King Jigme was forced to intervene last week to reassure his people about the political process that began when his father abdicated in his favour in 2006.

“The introduction of democracy is not for the benefit of a few political parties and politicians. It is for Bhutan and it must serve the nation long after we are gone,” he said.

“We must keep this in mind and begin the work of ensuring its success. If democracy succeeds, the nation wins.”

Restless heads

— Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria was exiled by the Bulgarian Government as a child in 1946 after reigning for two years, after a national referendum voting the monarchy out of existence. In 2001 he won parliamentary elections and was Prime Minister until 2005

— In 1657 Parliament voted to invite Oliver Cromwell to become king, having held the title of Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland since 1653. Despite having stated that kingship was an office “interwoven with the fundamental laws” of the nation, he declined

— Two years after vacating the Ottoman throne for his 12-year-old son Mehmet in 1444, Emperor Murad II was requested by the Grand Vizier to return temporarily as Sultan to lead the Ottomans against the European threat. In 1448 he defeated the Europeans at the Battle of Kosovo

Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica; agencies

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