Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 29: Tashi Topgyal, who previously contested the 2016 and 2021 presidential elections, formally announced his candidacy for the 2026 Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) presidential race on Saturday during a press meet at the Tibetan Welfare Office Hall in Dharamshala. He kicked off the press conference precisely at 11:39 a.m., a timing he said aligns with a personal numerical pattern dating back to his years in the military.
This marks the third successive bid for the top office of the Tibetan polity by the candidate who is known widely as the “the shephard” . However, his presidential ambitions have not been widely taken seriously by all strata of the Tibetan community, as evidenced by the vote counts in past preliminary rounds, which garnered only 38 votes in 2016 and 17 in 2021.
At the event, a large portrait of the Tibetan spiritual leader and the Tibetan national flag were prominently displayed on the backdrop. However, the very first guideline issued by the Election Commission for electoral campaigning clearly states that “Candidates for Sikyong (President) and Chitue (Parliament members) cannot use His Holiness’s photographs, the national flag of Tibet, the emblem of the Central Tibetan Administration, maps of Tibet, etc., on campaign promotional materials in order to win votes in elections.”
When a fellow journalist pointed out this clear violation, he responded by saying that, if elected, he would change this very guideline altogether. At the same time, he added that if the rule were to restrict him as a candidate, he had “no problem” with it and would simply withdraw from the race, a remark that further marked the contradictory nature of his stance.
The press conference turned into what was arguably one of the most incoherent press conferences witnessed in Dharamshala, marked by a cascade of unfocused remarks, sweeping accusations, and conspiracy-laden assertions, all delivered with only the loosest tether to verifiable facts. This spectacle played out under his familiar slogan, “My Leadership and Our Government. My Leadership and Our Administration,” a phrase unchanged since his 2021 presidential bid.
He declared outright that he had no interest in any form of dialogue with China for the time being, and his proclaimed vision of “unity among Tibetans” appeared to amount to little more than a belief that everyone should simply do as they please. Despite repeatedly invoking the need for unity, his definition of it seemed to rest less on collective purpose and more on an individualistic notion of unity where, paradoxically, everyone simply goes their own way.
In a moment of striking irony, he went so far as to label the incumbent CTA President Penpa Tsering as “anti-Tibetan,” accusing him of acting against the interests of the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He even cited Kelsang Dorjee (Kaydor) Aukatsang’s removal of His Holiness’s portrait as being a serious allegation unfit for the top office.
He went on to outline a set of self-imposed conditions that he would follow if elected. Among them, he pledged not to take a salary, and even if he were obliged to accept one, he said he would not “put it in his pocket” but redirect it to causes in need of funding. He also declared that he would not campaign across Tibetan settlements or ask the public to vote for him, adding that if the public were to invite him for debates or discussions, he would “definitely” attend.
When a fellow journalist asked why he was seeking the presidency for a third consecutive time, he brushed aside the significance of winning or losing, arguing that electoral results were secondary. Instead, he insisted that the true purpose of his candidacy was simply to “raise awareness” about exile politics among the general public.
The overall press conference offered no coherent set of policies or concrete agenda, leaving listeners without any sense of what his governance would actually entail. As a result, many within the community view his presidential bid less as a serious political platform and more as a “public stunt,” aimed at drawing attention rather than presenting any substantive or credible vision for leadership.
