US congratulates Bhutan on successful elections

The US Sunday congratulated Bhutan on successfully conducting the recently-held elections and said it was looking forward to strenghten its friendly ties with the Himalayan nation.

Bhutan went to polls on Thursday with voters handing an overwhelming victory to the new centre-left party Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT), which won 30 of the 47 national assembly seats.

Formed in 2013, the DNT is headed by Lotay Tshering, a 50-year-old urology surgeon who trained in Bangladesh and Australia.

"The United States commends the evolution of democracy in Bhutan, which has been an inspiration to the region," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

She congratulated the people of Bhutan on the conclusion of successful national elections and Tshering on his party's victory, a statement said.

"We look forward to working with Dr Tshering and his government to further develop friendly relations between our countries and our peoples," Nauert said.

Bhutan does not have diplomatic relations with any of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, including the United States.

Although Bhutan and the US have never established formal diplomatic relations, the two countries maintain warm, informal relations via the US Embassy in India, and Bhutan's Mission to the United Nations in New York, according to a State Department fact sheet.

This was the third elections in Bhutan since democracy was introduced in 2008.