The
National Council is the
upper house of
Bhutan's new
bicameral Parliament, which also comprises the
Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) and the
National Assembly. It is the subordinate house, and cannot author monetary or budget-related bills. Besides creating and reviewing
Bhutanese legislation, the National Council acts as the house of review on matters affecting the security, sovereignty, or interests of Bhutan that need to be brought to the notice of the Druk Gyalpo, the
Prime Minister and the National Assembly. Twenty members of the first Council were elected in the
first ever elections for the Council held on December 31, 2007 and January 29, 2008.