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Until the year 1907 Bhutan had a dual system of government introduced by Lam Zhabdrung (1594-1651) who unified the nation under the single Drukpa rule. Under this dual system the Desi or civil regent held the civil authority or secular power and the Je Khenpo (lord Abbot) was the head of the monk body. But after centuries of instability and internal turmoil, a need was felt for a strong central state. Thus in the year 1907, Ugyen Wangchuck, then the Trongsa Penlop (regional administrator of Trongsa in central Bhutan) ascended the Golden Throne as the first Druk Gyalpo (king) of Bhutan through common consensus. The new form of government was known as the hereditary monarchy wherein the king held the supreme authority and the Je Khenpo continued as the religious head. On the passing away of the first king, Druk Gyalpo Jigme Wangchuck succeeded him as the second king of Bhutan. Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck was the third king. Bhutan’s present king His Majesty the Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck is the fourth in the lineage. His Majesty the King Jigme Singye Wangchuck has provided a wise and thoughtful leadership reinforced by his sincere commitment to the nation, its people, its progress and its wellbeing. Bhutan under His Majesty’s unique and courageous approach to development has in a very short time traveled from a state of feudal isolation into the modern world. Gross national happiness and maximum people’s participation are His Majesty’s leading principles; not just for the people but always by the people. A majestic step in this process of democratization was taken in the national assembly of 1998, when he voluntarily gave up his role in the day to day governance of the country, as a modern head of state should. The Government of Bhutan consists of three main branches: a) the executive, b) the legislative and c) the judiciary. The executive is made up of the council of ministers and royal advisory councilors. The legislative is made up of the King and the National Assembly composed of the elected representatives of the people, the monk body and the government. The Judiciary is made up of the Court system and its judges.
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