Reportage – 2006

Samdhong Rinpoche tops Prime Minister candidature

DHARAMSHALA, India, 10 April 2006 — Samdhong Rinpoche, who is predicted to return as the next Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, received 82.66 percent of votes in the preliminary round of elections. (A file photo, taken on 31 March) [ click here for print size   3.1M ]

DHRAMSHALA, India, 10 April 2006 — Samdhong Rinpoche, the current Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, is leading the candidature for the next Prime Minister, receiving over 80 percent of the votes cast in the preliminary round of elections by the Tibetan Diaspora.

Chief Election Commissioner Tashi Phuntsok, of the exiled government, announcing the results of the preliminary round of elections on Monday, said that Samdhong Rinpoche had received 30,934 votes from the total 37,421 votes cast, ranking 82.66 percent.

The other five short-listed candidates for the post include a former Prime Minister, Juchen Thupten Namgyal, with 2,604 votes, standing far behind with only 6.96 percent.

Gyalo Thondup, another former Prime Minister and the elder brother of the Dalai Lama, positioned at third place received 488 votes scoring 1.30 percent.

Jetsun Pema, the younger sister of the Dalai Lama, who administers a chain of Tibetan schools, has received 477 votes.

Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, the special envoy of the Dalai Lama, has received 368 votes, while an unexpected candidate Tulku Ugyen Topgyal, head of a monastery in Bir Tibetan settlement, has received 177 votes.

The election was held on 18 March this year at 57 Tibetan clusters in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Europe, North America, Japan, Australia and Taiwan.

The short-listed candidates have to file their nominations within 20 days from the date of announcement of the result to contest in the final round of elections, which will be held on 3 June.

After the amendment to the election of the Prime Minister by the Dalai Lama, Tibetans living in exile went to directly elect the person for the top post of the government in 2001.

Samdhong Rinpoche then received 84.54 percent of the total 35,184 votes cast. His current five-year term will be over in September.