Chief Election Commissioner Wangdu Tsering Pesur, along with two additional commissioners, Sonam Gyaltsen (L) and Geshema Delek Wangmo, during the press conference on the 2021 Sikyong and 17th Parliamentary elections, in Dharamshala, India, on 28 September 2020.
Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal
By Lobsang Wangyal
MCLEOD GANJ, India, 28 September 2020
Tibetans in exile will elect a new political leader, known as Sikyong, on 11 April, announced the Tibetan Election Commission (EC) in a press conference today at the headquarters of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
The preliminary round of voting will take place on 3 January, when the nominations will be made.
Wangdu Tsering Pesur, the Chief Election Commissioner, said that only the top two names from the preliminary round will be announced as candidates for the final round, although according to EC rules the Commission could name up to six candidates.
Elections for the 45-seat 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-exile will take place along with the Sikyong elections, on the same dates.
Results for the preliminary round of voting will be announced on 8 February, following which the list of final candidates for the 11 April final round will be announced on 21 March. Results of the final round will be announced on 14 May.
No date has been fixed yet for the oath-taking of the new Sikyong, while the members of the Parliament will take oath of office on 30 May.
The Sikyong heads the executive branch of the 150,000-strong exile Tibetan community, scattered around the world, with the majority living in India, followed by the US and Canada. The Sikyong’s two responsibilities are to engage with the Chinese government on the resolution of the Tibetan issue, and to oversee the welfare of exile Tibetans in India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
As the Dalai Lama — the icon of the Tibetan people and their freedom struggle — ages, urgency is felt within the Tibetan Diaspora to elect the best candidate who would follow the path shown by him.
Campaigns for members’ choices of candidates are being carried on in social media. About 60,000 Tibetans around the world are expected to participate in the elections.
The new Sikyong should not entertain any illusion of having a dialogue with the CCP. With Xitler at the helm, his policy is my way is highway. Look at Hong Kong! He has completely snuffed out the “autonomy” that HK was promised just like they did with the 1951 Tibet-China “17 point agreement”.
It’s been sixty long years since Tibetans came into exile while thousands of HK people are now fleeing the territory or seeking UK passports known as British National Overseas (BNO). HK has become the second Tibet.
Carrie Lam is the leader just in name but all the power in HK has been usurped by Xitler’s henchmen hardliner, Luo Huining. She is just a show pony now.
This indicates that Xitler is going to crush any dissent and the root of perceived dissent which is Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan language. Concentration camps are already being built in Chamdo where the whole old city has been erased including the traditional Buddhist symbol of Dharma Chakra on Chamdo Jampaling replaced by a Taoist symbol.
All traces of Tibetan Buddhism is gradually vacuumed cleaned like they did in E Turkistan and even Tibetan prayer flags are banned from being hoisted. Monks and nuns are forced to wear military fatigues to change their mindset from being Tibetan into Chinese.
It looks like things are going to be very grim. The only thing we can do is to stand UNITED AS ONE PEOPLE against the sworn enemy while highlighting the genocide that is being perpetrated by the CCP.
No more living in illusory delirium of “dialogue” with CCP but instead work hard to drum up support from the rest of the world. The brighter side of this doom and gloom is, we will find more listeners this time around than at any time since we came into exile. So, make hay while the sun shines!
Dear EC, what about the North America Chitue Candidate? How many candidate can list for final voting. What is the provision if voting were not possible due to the pandemic issue or other due to law of Land, what is the alternative to vote?
Wangdu Tsering Pesur la, it is your moment to be under the sun. We the people will be watching you with our microscopes and telescopes. Hope you pass the test of a good election commissioner who is fair and impartial.