By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, May 14: The former Speaker of TPiE Penpa Tsering is set to become the next Sikyong (President) of the the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), after the official results of the Presidential and Parliamentary (Chithue) elections were declared by the Election Commission (EC) on Friday.
The Chief Election Commissioner Wangdu Tsering Pesur announced the results virtually, declaring Penpa Tsering’s victory in the final round of elections with 34, 324 votes against Kelsang Dorjee Aukatsang who bagged 28,907 votes.
The President-elect Penpa Tsering on his victory message echoed the importance of unity in the exile community and promised to work towards resuming dialogue between Tibet and China, “I look forward to the day we actually celebrate our victory when we resolve the Sino-Tibet dialogue in the future. This is a new chapter in the history of Tibetan democracy, granted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, where we need to stay united and not be deterred by the petty issues regionalism and sectarianism.”
“Fellow candidate Kaydor Aukatsang ran an impressive campaign during the elections. He sent me a congratulatory message a month ago and I thanked him for this courtesy. In politics, even though we may differ on matters concerning our approaches to the struggle, we cannot afford to be personally vindictive. It will only weaken our resolve, not strengthen it,” Penpa Tsering further said.
The runner-up candidate Kelsang Dorjee Aukatsang also sent out a message of congratulations after the official results were announced, “I congratulate Mr. Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong-elect, and wish him the best as he assumes the Sikyong office at a time when we are confronted with rising challenges and undergoing profound changes. I wish him good health, fortitude, and success.”
In the parliamentary elections, 16 new faces have managed to win seats in various pools. The new emerging candidates will represent their constituents in the 17th TPiE; Dhondup Dorjee, Lobsang Gyatso Sither, and Rigzin Lhundup from U-Tsang constituency; Tenzin Jigdal, Choephel Thupten, Tsering Dolma, Phurbu Dorjee Gyaldhong and Wangdue Dorjee from Dhotoe constituency; Pema Tso, Lobsang Thupten and Chodak Gyatso from Dhomey constituency; and only one new member from the seats allocated for the religious sects with Geshe Rinchen Gyaltsen Atung from Bon constituency.
Tenzin Jigme and Thondup Tsering have been elected as the new MPs for the North American constituency, whereas Thupten Gyatso won the one of the two European seats. Tenzin Phuntsok Doring won the singular seat from the Australasia constituency.
The members of the 17th TPiE are scheduled to take oath on May 30th following the swearing-in ceremony of the Sikyong-elect on May 26th.
The EC said that 83,080 Tibetans had registered to vote in the 2021 Sikyong and Chithue elections, out of which 63,991 registered voters participated in the final round of elections. “We had the highest voter turnout of 72.02 % this year in the finals,” the Chief Election Commissioner said.
