Dharamsala, December 18 – It is a three horse race now for the post of Tibetan Prime Minister with the only woman candidate withdrawing her nomination. Gyari Dolma, the incumbent deputy speaker of the Tibetan parliament has announced her decision to withdraw from the final elections due to be held on March 20 next year.
The Tibetan election commission last month shortlisted the top six candidates for the final round of Kalon Tripa election. The six are Lobsang Sangay, Tenzin Namgyal Tethong, Gyari Dolma, Tashi Wangdi, Lobsang Jinpa and Khorlatsang Sonam Topgyal. Lobsang Jinpa and Khorlatsang Sonam Topgyal had already withdrawn their candidacy.
Lobsang Sangay swept the preliminary round as he beat Tenzin Namgyal Tethong by more than 10,000 votes in the preliminary round.
Out of the 79,449 registered voters, little over 47,000 (approximately 61%) voted in the preliminary polls conducted on October 3.
Estimates show that some 90,000 of the approximately 150,000 Tibetan exiles worldwide are above the age of 18 and are eligible to vote. In the last Kalon Tripa election in 2006, 72,000 (60%) were registered to vote and, an estimated 26.8% (32,205 people) actually voted.
The election commission also announced fresh registration dates from November 30, 2010 to January 17, 2011 for eligible voters who have missed the preliminary rounds of elections.
The voter registration should accordingly reach the office of election commission by January 24, 2011.
