Paper short abstract:

Is the process of democratisation paving way for the emergence of a new Bhutan? Is there a transition from past or does Bhutan still remain a constitutional monarchy? The paper attempts to address some of these questions.

Paper long abstract:

As the democratisation process unfolds itself in Bhutan, there is scepticism in some quarters regarding both the substance and process of democracy. Is Bhutan in transition or is she still governed by a path- dependent behaviour envisioned by the monarchs of the past? This question becomes significant, particularly after the recent round of elections. Nevertheless, with almost 50 percent of its young population participating in the democratisation process, could there be a perceived shift in Bhutan's external and domestic policy behaviour in the coming years. The proposed paper will attempt to answer some of these questions.

There are three ways to understand the strategic behaviour of a state. The first yardstick is to assess the 'structure' within which a state is situated; the second is to assess the role played by domestic constituencies and the third is to understand the influence of leadership. The element of leadership is particularly important as both external and domestic factors are filtered through the perception of the leader. Given these broad parameters, the proposed paper will seek to understand Bhutan's policy response to some key areas relating to security and economics, and whether a combination of actors and issues are making way for a 'new' Bhutan.