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Tens of 1000’s of Tibetans in exile have voted within the first spherical of elections for a brand new political chief of their exile authorities in Dharamshala, India.
Voters world wide chosen two candidates for Sikyong, or president of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), who will face off towards one another in a ultimate spherical scheduled for April 11. They additionally chosen 90 candidates for 45 parliament seats. The election fee will announce the outcomes on Feb. 8.
In Nepal, the place Tibetan points are delicate, the native Tibetan neighborhood held the elections in secret on Dec. 25 and 26, however police on Dec. 27 detained 5 Tibetans, together with an RFA reporter based mostly in Kathmandu.
According to the net Tibetan Journal, a consultant of the Human Rights Organization of Nepal mentioned the 5 had been detained as a result of voting coincided with a go to from a Chinese official. They had been launched the identical day after a consultant of the group appealed on their behalf on the police station.
“We spoke to the police station in Boudha and they agreed to release all of them around 6pm that day. But the police official warned them not to engage in any such activities not approved by Nepal,” Sangpo, a member of the group, advised RFA’s Tibetan Service.
Anticipating giant crowds, a voting heart in Ontario, Canada opened the polls from Friday to Monday.
“We had a very successful first round of voting process here in Ontario with the help from our volunteers. The ballot boxes will be locked and sealed under secured surveillance in our community hall. We will be counting the votes on January 5, 2021,” Tsering Wangyal, election commissioner for Ontario advised RFA.
In the United States, greater than 4,700 Tibetans in New York and New Jersey forged their ballots on Jan. 2 and three.
“We have around 44 members who helped make this historic election process a success,” Lhawang Ngodup, election commissioner for the area advised RFA.
“We arranged 50 voting booths on each of the two floors of our Tibetan community hall to minimize crowding and make the process swifter,” he mentioned.
Tenzin Pasang, a resident of New York, advised RFA that voting was the responsibility of all Tibetans.
“Elections are one of the most significant processes in a democracy. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has bestowed democracy to all Tibetans and therefore we must make the best use of it,” Pasang mentioned.
Tsetan Dhondup, one other New York resident, advised RFA that adjustments in international politics had been an essential issue within the election.
“There are lots of political changes taking place in the world and also in terms of their support for Tibet. So, we must elect a deserving candidate for both the Sikyong and member of parliament,” mentioned Dhondup.
Dawa Tsering Tekhang of Virginia mentioned regional background was not a think about his determination.
“Even though I am from U-tsang province, my vote went for someone from a different province. That is to say, I voted for the person who deserves to be the leader,” he mentioned.
A 100-year-old monk forged his poll in Minnesota.
“I wish that all Tibetans were united,” the Venerable Gendun Kalsang advised RFA.
Globally, about 80,000 exiles registered to vote within the 2021 election, 7,000 of whom reside in or close to Dharamshala, however RFA estimates a decrease turnout for the election’s first spherical.
An RFA unique exit ballot amongst 907 voters in India, Europe, Canada and the U.S. confirmed former speaker of Tibet’s exile parliament Penpa Tsering in a commanding lead with 40 p.c of the vote, adopted by Gyari Dolma, former CTA residence minister and the primary lady to run as a candidate for Sikyong, with 20 p.c. Drongchung Ngodup, the Dalai Lama’s consultant within the Indian capital New Delhi, obtained 19.4 p.c, the ballot confirmed.
The CTA was shaped in 1959 and has been electing presidents by in style vote each 5 years since 2011.
A complete of 59,353 Tibetans voted within the 2016 election.
Reported by RFA’s Tibetan Service. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
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