Lower voter registration than last election: Election Commission

By Choekyi Lhamo         

DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 16: The Election Commission (EC) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), also known as the Tibetan government in exile, on Monday announced reopening of the voter registration window from Dec. 23^rd to 28^th, citing lower registration from voters compared to the last general election in 2016.

The Chief Election Commissioner Wangdu Tsering Pesur said there are 10,880 lesser registered voters compared to the last election. A total of 79,697; 55,683 from India and 24,014 from abroad have registered for the upcoming Tibetan general elections. He further announced that as per provisions of Article 18 (13) (c) under the regulations, “anyone who has since attained the age of 18 on 31^st October can register to vote till 2^nd Jan 2021.”

Commissioner Pesur also urged the public to exercise responsible use of the digital platforms and social media. He also urged all Tibetans and other concerned bodies to fully participate in voter registration to strengthen the democratic process. The EC began registering voters on Sept. 1 to Oct. 15 and later extended till October 30. 

The preliminary election for Sikyong and MPs is scheduled for Jan 3, 2021 and the final election is to be held on Apr 11, 2021 as per the Charter of Tibetans-in-exile. 2021 elections will determine the fifth Sikyong (President) and the MPs of the 17th Tibetan Parliament in Exile.