By Tashi Dhondup
Tibetan exiles will vote Saturday to elect a de facto prime minister after a renewed call from their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, for greater autonomy for their Chinese-ruled homeland.
It is only the second time Tibetans will participate in popular polls to elect their “Kalon Tripa” or premier, who runs an exiled administration that holds no real sway in Tibet itself. The first direct election was held in 2001.
“This is a significant election for Tibetans,” said Tenzin D. Andrugtsang, an election commissioner for the Tibetan government in exile at its headquarters in Dharamsala, northern India.
“72,771 Tibetans have registered to vote, and we expect the voter turnout to be bigger than the preliminary polls,” he added.
About 140,000 Tibetans live in exile, mostly in the Indian subcontinent.
Two candidates are in the fray and voting will take place at 53 polling stations set up by the election commission in India, Nepal, North America, Europe, Australia and Taiwan.
Incumbent Prime Minister Samdong Rinpoche is a clear favorite to be re-elected. The 66-year-old won an overwhelming victory with 82.66 percent of votes cast in the preliminary poll on March 18.
Teacher-turned-politician Rinpoche is a staunch supporter of the Dalai Lamas campaign for greater autonomy for the Himalayan region of Tibet, which was invaded by China in 1950.
“The degree of autonomy China has given to Hong Kong and Macau under its constitution can be given to other national minorities also,” he told AFP.
The Dalai Lama reiterated Thursday in the European Parliament that he wanted self-rule for the Tibetan people, not separation from China.
“We are not seeking separation,” he said. “The Tibetan issue is one of the preservation of an ancient culture and an anchoring of the Buddhist tradition.”
Officially running against Rinpoche is 77-year-old Juchen Thupten, a former Cabinet minister in the Tibetan government in exile, but he is campaigning more as a supporter of the incumbent than an opponent.
“I have no interest in holding any office at this age but I am participating to help the democratic process that we have started in exile under the leadership and guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,” he said.
Of six candidates who were elected for the final polls, four withdrew from the contest.
Results are expected in early July.
