Reportage – 2006

Exile Tibetans elect new Prime Minister and parliament

DHARAMSHALA, India, 18 March 2006

Dharamshala, India, 18 March 2006 — Former political prisoner Palden Gyatso casting his vote to elect the 14th Tibetan parliament-in-exile and a new Prime Minister, which will be second directly elected through popular vote. [ click here for print size   3.3M ]

The Dalai Lama took a day off from his annual spring teachings on Saturday to urge exiled Tibetans to elect a new Prime Minister and a parliament. It was the preliminary round for the Prime Minister, and the final round for the parliament, based in the north Indian town of Dharamshala.

From about 150,000 Tibetans in exile, some 82,000 exiled Tibetans aged 18 and older are expected to cast votes at 57 polling stations around the world. "The whole election procedure is going as planned and peacefully. We are witnessing more informed and aware voters compared to the past elections," said Tashi Phuntsok, the Chief Election Commissioner of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

The parliament was instituted in 1960 after the Dalai Lama fled to India following a failed uprising against the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959.

The parliament has 46 members representing three provinces of Tibet — U-tsang, Amdo and Kham — and also representing four Buddhist sects of Tibetan Buddhism and the native religion Bon. In addition, two members represent Europe and one North America. The Dalai Lama nominates three members.

Voters cast votes on the basis of their provincial backgrounds. The results for the parliament will be out on 28 April and the new 14th parliament will take the oath of office in the end of May.

The final round of voting to elect the prime minister will take place on 3 June, and the new Prime Minister will assume responsibility of his office in September.

Samdhong Rinpoche, 69, the current Prime Minister, is the most favoured candidate for the post of Prime Minister. Other expected candidates to be in the running for the highest executive post include the younger sister of the Dalai Lama, Jetsun Pema, who is administering the chain of Tibetan Children’s Village schools in India. A former Prime Minister Juchen Thupten and Tashi Wangdi, the Dalai Lama's representative in New York are likely to receive votes to stand in the June election.

"Samdhong Rinpoche will be re-elected," forecasts the immediate former Prime Minister Sonam Topgyal.

Rinpoche secured 84.5 percent of the 30,000 votes cast in the first direct election to the post of the exiled Tibetan Prime Minister in 2001.

The new Prime Minister will appoint his cabinet, which needs to be approved by the parliament.

However, the supreme authority of the exiled Tibetan government remains with the Dalai Lama, who is campaigning for a negotiated settlement for the Tibetan issue seeking autonomy for Tibet.