Tibetan exiles vote to nominate PM, MPs

DHARAMSALA - Hundreds of thousands of Tibetan exiles across the world Sunday exercised their franchise to nominate candidates for the post of Kalon Tripa or prime minister and members of the parliament-in-exile.

“The turnout is little higher this time than that of the last general elections held in 2006,” Chief Election Commissioner Jamphel Choesang told reporters.

He said besides various Tibetan settlements within India, the elections were also held in Nepal and Bhutan, North America, Europe and several countries across the world.

The final round of elections will be held March 20, 2011.

In India the voting took place, among other places, at Dharamsala, Darjeeling, Dehradun and Delhi.

In Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, 10 polling booths were set up.

Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama has already said in a message that he will not personally endorse a candidate of his choice and will stand by a popularly elected Kalon Tripa.

This time, 79,449 people have registered to vote.

In the previous prime ministerial election in 2006, 72,000 were registered to vote but only 32,205 people (26.8 percent) exercised their franchise.

The Tibetan parliament members are elected through two rounds of voting - preliminary and final. Each candidate contesting for parliament has to secure minimum 33 percent votes to get into the final round.

Incumbent Samdhong Rinpoche became the first directly elected prime minister for a five-year term in September 2001 after the Dalai Lama called for a directly elected political leader of the exiles.

Rinpoche can’t re-contest as the Tibetan charter bars any individual from holding office for more than two terms.

As the Dalai Lama has turned 75, the Tibetans attach greater importance to the upcoming general elections as they feel the major political leadership of the government-in-exile is going to rest on the shoulders of the prime minister.

A number of private websites has posted 20 prospective candidates for the post of prime minister.

The list includes the names of Lobsang Sangey, senior fellow at Harvard Law School, diplomat Tenzin Namgyal Tethong, Speaker Pempa Tsering and Deputy Speaker Dolma Gyari, the lone woman candidate.