Preliminary election in October, final in March

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Tibet Sun
By Lobsang Wangyal
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Chief Election Commissioner of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Jamphel Choesang, center, announcing the dates of the 2011 general elections of Tibetan Parliament-in-exile and Prime Minister on 10 June 2010 in Dharamshala, India, as two additional election commissioners Geshe Rinzin Choedak, right and Yangkho Gyal looks on. (Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal/India)

Mecloed Ganj, India-- Tibetans in exile will go to the polls to elect a new prime minister and representatives, according to the election commissioners of the Tibetan government-in-exile. There will be two phases of voting, in October and March next year.

The first phase of the voting will be held on 3 October, when the electorate will cast their votes for the third directly-elected prime minister and members of the fifteenth exile parliament of the Tibetan diaspora. This preliminary voting will decide the nominees.

In the second round of voting on 20 March next year, the people will make their final choice for prime minister and members of the parliament.

Jamphel Choesang, the Chief Election Commissioner, announced the dates at a press conference in Dharamshala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile on Thursday.

There can be up to six nominees for the position of prime minister, and up to 20 nominees from each of the three provinces in the case of the members of the parliament.

To become an eligible voter, a person will have to register prior to the voting. The dates to register have been fixed between 18 June to 18 August. Choesang said that registration is mandatory to cast a vote, but failed to give a reason for the importance of registration. People have raised the issue of registration as it has only helped to reduce the number of voters.

The incumbent prime minister Samdhong Rinpoche was first elected in 2001 and for a second term in 2006. An elected prime minister holds the post for a five-year term.