Exile ballot: Tibetans in exile cast votes, reaffirm fight for freedom
The elections are being conducted simultaneously across 27 nations where the Tibetan community lives
Braving scorching heat, exiled Tibetans living in Dharamsala turned out in large numbers on Sunday to vote in the final round of elections for the 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, a process carrying heightened significance as the community looks ahead to a future without its revered spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
The Tibetan Parliament-in-exile is the unicameral and highest legislative organ of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) the Dharamsala-based political and administrative body of Tibetans living in exile.
The elections are being conducted simultaneously across 27 nations where the Tibetan community lives.
Long queues of voters, including monks, nuns, elders and the young, were seen at the polling booths set up by the CTA in Dharamsala and elsewhere in the state where the Tibetan community lives. More than 91,000 people have registered for the elections, according to the Election Commission of the CTA.
A Tibetan monk casts his vote in Dharamsala. Photo: Kamal Jeet
A total of 93 candidates are in the fray for the 45-member house, which comprises 10 representatives from each of the three traditional provinces of Tibet (i.e., U-Tsang, Dhotoe and Dhomey); two from each of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and the pre-Buddhist Bon religion; two each representing the Tibetan communities in North America and Europe and one from Australasia and Asia.
The elections are being held simultaneously across 27 countries.
China consistently rejects the CTA, calling it a separatist group, while the exiled community regards it as their legitimate representative institution.
The first phase of elections was held in February this year in which incumbent Sikyong (President) Penpa Tsering was elected for a second term after securing more than 60 per cent of the polled votes. Article 67(4) of the CTA's Election Rules and Regulations stipulates that if a candidate secures more than 60 per cent of the total votes in the preliminary round, the final round for that Sikyong shall not be conducted.
Meanwhile, Lobsang Yeshi, Chief Election Commissioner of the CTA, said Sunday’s vote marks the decisive final phase of the elections, following the preliminary round in February. He underscored the stakes, saying the exercise reflects nearly seven decades of Tibetans in exile asserting their demand for a free homeland. The CTA, he added, stands as both the political face of the Tibetan freedom struggle and the voice of around seven million Tibetans inside Tibet.
Accusing China of “brutal and illegal occupation,” Yeshi said the vote is a direct rebuttal to Beijing’s narrative. “This election is a clear reassertion of our legitimacy and a message to China’s propaganda—we have not given up,” he said.
“This election is not just about choosing representatives—it’s about protecting our identity and keeping our struggle alive, says a young exile Tibetan voter.
As young Tibetans, we may have been born in exile, but through our vote, we assert that our connection to Tibet, our culture, and our hope for freedom remains unbroken, he added.
