Tibetan parliament preliminary poll ends

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 18

The first phase of voting for the election of Sikyong, the leader of Tibetans-in-exile or the Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile and Tibetan parliamentarians, concluded today.

Five candidates, including the sitting Sikyong, Lobsang Sangay, are in the fray for the post.

The final election will be held on March 20 next year and candidates will be chosen on the basis of the percentage of votes they get in the first phase.

The results will be declared within 24 hours of the election. This was the second such election after the Dalai Lama devolved his political power to the elected leader in 2011. In the last election, Lobsang Sangay had won. He was polled 55 per cent of the votes.

For the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, it is the 16th election since the Dalai Lama exiled.

His abode and the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Dharamsala, was abuzz with activity today as Tibetans made a beeline for the 10 polling stations set up by the Election Commission of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

More than 87,000 of the 1.5 lakh Tibetans living in exile have registered to vote, Out of them, 45,000 are from U-Tsang province of Tibet and rest from the Kham and Amdo region. Most of the voters are Tibetans living in exile in India, Nepal and Bhutan while North America has 9,800 registered voters, Europe 5,600 and Australia/rest of Asia 950 voters. Incumbent Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, who is vying for the second term, exercised his franchise at a polling station near the Gangchen Kyishong, the seat of the government.

The others in the fray for the top post are current speaker of the Parliament-in-exile, Pempa Tsering, Tashi Wangdu, the Chief Executive Officer of the Federation of Tibetan Co-operatives in India (FTCI), and a former political prisoner and Rangzen (complete independence) activist, Lukar Jam.

“Exercising their democratic right, Tibetans-in-exile today came out in large numbers,” read a statement on the CTA’s official website.

The voter turnout will be ascertained after the polling is over at all 60 polling stations set up in different countries.

As per rules, a voter can name one candidate for the post while for the MP, he/she can list up to 10 candidates (including two women) in preference from their constituency.

For a member of the clergy to be elected to the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, a voter can select two candidates representing their religious tradition in addition to the 10 candidates (including two women) from each of the three provinces of Tibet.

For a member of the clergy (four sects of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon Religion), a voter can select two candidates representing their religious tradition in addition to the 10 candidates named in preference.

Tibetans residing in North America and Europe can vote for two candidates each to represent their constituency. Tibetans residing in Australia, New Zealand and Asia (excluding India, Nepal and Bhutan) can vote for one candidate to represent the Australasia constituency.

The results of the preliminary round will be declared at the respective polling stations within 24 hours, determining the top candidates for the second or the final round.