Introduction

I begin by discussing the historic moment of the abdication of Bhutan’s Fourth King. His voluntary abdication in 2006 paved the way for the introduction of parliamentary democracy and enthronement of his successor as the first constitutional monarch. The introduction of democracy in a time of peace, economic success and social harmony as well as political stability contests existing theories of democratization. These theories cannot foresee democratic transition in the absence of rebellions, invasions, economic crisis and political instabilities. The arguments are also very structural and institutional, discounting the role of leadership in a democratic transition. I examine theories of kingship to propose how the Bhutanese monarchy stands apart by being modern in terms of its ideological foundation, the timing of establishment and as the agency of socio-economic modernization and political reforms. Thereafter, I analyse various strands of prevailing theories concerning democratic transition and regime change. I argue that none of them sufficiently explains Bhutan’s case and there is, therefore, a need for either re-thinking existing models or advocating for new ones. Arguing for the novelty of an ethnographic approach to study democracy and elections, I reason why this book becomes a special monograph to document and analyse Bhutan’s historic transition to democracy.