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National Council (Bhutan)
National Council' serves as the upper house of Bhutan's bicameral Parliament, which also includes the Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) and the National Assembly. While it shares similarities with the Rajya Sabha in neighboring India and other upper houses of bicameral Westminster-style parliaments, it does not have the authority to introduce monetary or budget-related bills. The twenty members of the National Council are elected by the citizens of Bhutan's twenty districts through a multi-layered election process, where each block selects a nominee for the final district-level elections. In addition to creating and reviewing legislation, the National Council functions as a house of review for issues concerning the security, sovereignty, or interests of Bhutan that require attention from the Druk Gyalpo, the Prime Minister, and the National Assembly. The inaugural members of the Council were elected during the first elections held on 31 December 2007, and 29 January 2008.