Bhutanese Cautiously Approach First Vote

But Bhutan is clinging hard to its traditions, and national dress is mandatory in offices and places of worship. The country's fortress-style architecture is the only construction allowed, and even gas stations have pagoda-like roofs.

"Our country is going through drastic changes," said Kezang Lhamo, 23, at a cafe with friends after work. "We always had His Majesty, the person we believed in, our king, to guide us through. Times are confusing now. But we try to trust and stay hopeful."

The campaign has kept Bhutanese sensibilities in mind. There were no expos¿s of extramarital affairs or allegations of rigging. In debate rules issued by the electoral commission, candidates were told to use "constructive criticism, please."

Two main political parties are vying for votes. They are the Druk Pheunsum Tshogpa, or DPT, with its slogan of "Growth with equity and justice," and the People's Democratic Party, or PDP, with the slogan "Service with humility. Walk the talk."

Analysts say there are few ideological differences between the two parties. And both have a leader who served two terms as prime minister under the monarchy. The head of the party that wins a majority of the 47 parliamentary seats will become the country's first elected prime minister.

One candidate accused his opponent's wife of donating a butter lamp, a traditional gift used to burn butter or oil, to a monastery to win the support of monks, who hold powerful sway in villages. Another candidate criticized the opposing party for its yellow campaign logo -- yellow is the royal family's color.

"We were very happy before this election, because the country was peaceful," said Thugi Dema, 50, as she chewed a clump of betel leaf that turned her teeth bright red. She flashed a button showing the king's face, pinned to her traditional dress. "We don't need this tiresome campaigning. It's not our culture."

A recent front-page headline in the Bhutan Times read: "Tired, tired, tired!" According to the article, campaigning in some districts had ended early because "people are instead looking forward to getting back to their fields with sickles and spades. Politicians are realizing that their desperate call for people to listen to their promise-laden homilies is not working anymore."

In an open letter to the nation Saturday, the king urged Bhutanese to vote and defended his family's move toward democracy.

"This transition is a Bhutanese transition," he wrote in the government newspaper, Kuensel, explaining that the gross national happiness index would make the democracy truly Bhutanese. "We are not compelled -- nor would it be wise for a unique nation like ours -- to follow blindly what happens elsewhere. This election and the democracy that we will build are the result of the sacrifice and hard work of generations of Bhutanese people. It's another important step toward strengthening our nation."

What little violence there has been in the run-up to the elections comes from Nepalese rebel groups, which asserted responsibility for three bombings this week. No one was seriously injured. The government forced as many as 100,000 ethnic Nepalese out of the country in the 1990s. Ethnic Nepalese still form a sizable community in Bhutan, and they have put forward 19 candidates in this vote, hoping to gain a louder voice.

At a hotel in Phuntsholing, on the border with India, the chef, Namgyal Bhutia, was busy recently preparing red rice and green chili peppers with yak cheese, Bhutan's national dish. He said the country's election was as unique as its food.

"The king has given power to the people, so we will try this experiment," said Bhutia, 32, as he tucked his cellphone into the folds of his traditional dress, called a gho. "In Buddhism we learn that all things are impermanent. And that's too bad, sometimes. Now, we can only hope for the best."