Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], April 26 (ANI): Over 91,000 registered Tibetan voters from 27 countries are casting their votes on Sunday to elect members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.
Out of a total of 93 candidates contesting in the final round of elections, 45 members of the exile parliament will be elected. Around 40 percent of the candidates in this phase are new faces.
Losang Yeshi, Chief Election Commissioner of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), told ANI, “Today is the final phase of the elections. We already held the preliminary election in February. This is important, as for the last 70 years, Tibetans have been reasserting their aspiration for a free land. The CTA symbolizes the Tibetan freedom struggle and the aspirations of 7 million Tibetans back home.”
He added, “China has brutally, forcefully, and illegally occupied Tibet, but Tibetans have continuously asserted and proven that they are the legitimate government, and the CTA is the legitimate government of Tibet and the Tibetan people. This is a reassertion despite China’s propaganda and misinformation about the legitimacy of this government. This sends a clear message to China that we have not given up.”
Tenzin Dawa, a voter in Dharamshala, said the election is crucial as it determines representatives who voice the concerns of Tibetans both inside Tibet and across the world.
“This election comes after five years. It is very important for us, as it represents the Tibetan community all over the world. These parliament members represent Tibetan people who are in Tibet. Having good parliament members is very crucial, as we have been refugees since 1959. We elect leaders who represent people inside Tibet and also carry their voices and struggle to the world,” he said.
Tenzing Namdol, another voter, said, “We are in exile and have full freedom to vote and choose our leaders, whereas Tibetans inside Tibet have no such choice. We should choose our leaders wisely. China claims that Tibet is part of China, which is not true. Most people around the world know the truth. One day we will surely return to our homeland.”
The five-year Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, which sits twice a year, has 45 members from across the world, including 30 representing the three traditional provinces, 10 representing five religious traditions, and five representing the diaspora.
Headquartered in Dharamshala, the parliament functions as a representative body for an estimated 150,000 Tibetans living in exile worldwide. (ANI)
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