Lotay Tshering

8th Prime Minister of Bhutan

Lotay Tshering (Dzongkha: བློ་གྲོས་ཚེ་རིང་; born 10 May 1969) is a Bhutanese politician. He was the Prime Minister of Bhutan from 7 November 2018 until 1 November 2023.


Lotay Tshering
བློ་གྲོས་ཚེ་རིང་
Tshering in 2023
Prime Minister of Bhutan
In office
7 November 2018 – 1 November 2023
MonarchJigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Preceded byTshering Tobgay
Succeeded byChogyal Dago Rigdzin (as Chief Advisor)
President of Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa
Assumed office
14 May 2018
DeputySherab Gyaltshen
Preceded byTandi Dorji
Member of the National Assembly of Bhutan
Assumed office
31 October 2018
Preceded byYeshi Zimba
ConstituencySouth Thimphu
Majority3,662
Personal details
Born (1969-05-10) 10 May 1969 (age 54)
Political partyDruk Nyamrup Tshogpa
Spouse(s)Ugyen Dema
Children3 (two adopted)[1]
Alma materMymensingh Medical College[2]
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University[2]
University of Canberra
Signature

Early life and education change

He received his early education from Punakha High School and graduated from Sherubtse College. He graduated from Mymensingh Medical College under the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and received a degree of MBBS in 2001. He completed his post-graduation in surgery from the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 2007, he studied Urology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, the USA, under his World Health Organization fellowship. Upon his return to Bhutan, he was the only practicing trained urologist in his country. In 2010, he obtained a fellowship in Endourology at Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, and Okayama University, Japan. He received a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Canberra, Australia in 2014.

Personal life change

Tshering, a Nepali-speaking Lhotshampa, is married to a doctor, Ugyen Dema. The couple has one daughter. During his tenure in Mongar Regional Referral Hospital, he adopted one girl and one boy.

Professional career change

Tshering served as a consultant surgeon in JDWNRH and Mongar Regional Referral Hospital, and was also served as a consultant urologist in JDWNRH for 11 years.

After the payment of about Nu. 6.2 million to the Royal Civil Service Commission, he resigned from the JDWNRH as a urologist to join politics in 2013.

Political career change

On 14 May 2018, Tshering received 1,155 votes and was elected as the president of the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) just five months before the Third National Assembly Election.

He was elected to the National Assembly of Bhutan as a candidate of DNT from South Thimphu constituency in 2018 Bhutanese National Assembly election. He received 3,662 votes, defeating Kinley Tshering, a candidate of DPT. His party won largest number of seats in the 2018 National Assembly Election, bringing Tshering to premiership and Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa into government for the first time.

Prime Minister change

Narendra Modi with the Lotay Tshering, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on December 28, 2018 On 7 November 2018, he replaced Tshering Tobgay and was sworn in as 3rd democratically elected Prime Minister of Bhutan.

On 27 December 2018, he arrived in India (three-day visit) on his first foreign trip after assuming the office.

Cabinet change

Main article: Council of Ministers (Bhutan) § Current cabinet

Tshering announced his 10 cabinet ministers on 3 November 2018.

Awards change

  • 1991: He was awarded the Father William Mackey Gold Medal for academic excellence in Sherubtse.
  • 2005: He was awarded the Unsung Hero of Compassion Award by 14th Dalai Lama.
  • 2017: He was awarded the Order of the Beloved of the Thunder Dragon Medal (Druk Thuksey) by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck for his "selfless and dedicated service to the Tsawa-Sum (our King, our country and our people)."
  • 2018: Royal Orange Scarf by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

References change

  1. "The persuasive president – KuenselOnline". www.kuenselonline.com.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Lotay Tshering joins Pahela Baishakh celebration, says Bangladesh is his 'second home'". bdnews24.com. 14 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.