Bhutan to crown world’s youngest king today

After Barack Obama, yet another young leader will begin his sojourn as the head of a country on Thursday. At 29, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is the world’s youngest monarch and with the newly drafted Constitution of Bhutan,he will also be one of the youngest ones to step down.

The new Constitution — drafted with a group of Bhutanese and foreign,including Indian, experts on constitution — which came into force in 2008, makes it mandatory for a King to retire by the age of 65, putting to an end the concept of monarchy in perpetuity for an individual. Earlier, Kings in Bhutan have ruled as long as they were alive.

The only exception to this was the Fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who announced his decision to abdicate the throne in 2006. At the age of only 53, he is officially going to hand over the mantle to his son, the Fifth King of Bhutan, at a coronation ceremony on Thursday.

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit:
http://epaper.indianexpress.com/IE/IEH/2008/11/06/index.shtml