Pema Gyamtsho

Pema Gyamtsho (Dzongkha: པདྨ་རྒྱ་མཚོ།, Wylie: pad+ma rgya mtsho, born in 1961) is a Bhutanese politician who served as the Second Party President of the Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly of Bhutan from 2013 until his resignation in 2020. Since then he has been the Director General of International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (|ICIMOD) . He also served as the Minister of Agriculture and Forests in the first elected government of Bhutan.

Early life and education

Career In 1990, he graduated with an M.Agr.Sc (Hons) from New Zealand, with a thesis on lucerne grass, and in 1996 he took Ph.D. from ETH Zurich. He was a member of the Planning Commission, Sustainable Development Secretariat, Centre for Bhutan Studies, Forestry Development Corporation Board and Founding Co-Chairman of Bhutan Water Partnership. Later he was promoted to the Deputy Secretary of Policy Planning Division, Ministry of Agriculture. He worked with International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development based in Kathmandu, Nepal as a specialist in watershed. Ultimately he became the Deputy Resident Coordinator of Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation.

In 2007, he became a member of Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party), and his name was registered in the constituency of Bumthang District for the General Election (the election of National Assembly). In March 2008, he won a clear victory in his constituency,

In July 2013, Jigme Thinley who had been the former Prime Minister and the President of Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party submitted his resignation for the Member of National Assembly before beginning its Legislative Session. On 24 July 2013 Pema Gyamtsho was appointed the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly for the Second Legislative Session. On 3 December 2013 he was elected as the new Party President.

Honours