Dharamshala 14 April – A former chairperson of the Tibetan parliament was manhandled by an angry mob in Bhandara Tibetan settlement in what is seen as a rare phenomenon in the Tibetan democracy which is usually referred to as a blessing or a gift from the Dalai Lama (tib:Gyalwa Rinpoche yi soerey nangwei mangtso). This comes in the wake of the Election Commission’s recent invalidation of the votes cast for the Kalon Tripa’s preliminary election in the south central Tibetan settlement.
The Tibetan Election Commission on 10 April announced the invalidation of the votes cast in Bhandara stating that all ballot papers from that region were filled by four people. The decision, according to Mr. Tashi Phuntsok, the Chief Election Commissioner, was taken after a thorough scrutiny by the commission and witnessing deputies.
“The electoral rules under the Tibetan charter allow only one person to help a handicapped voter in casting a ballot. The total 423 votes cast in Bhandara were found to be the handwritings of four persons”, Phuntsok told phayul.
The Assembly of the Tibetan Assembly sent a committee comprising of 3 legislators and an election commissioner to Bhandara to probe into the matter. Chitue (deputy of the Assembly of the Tibetan People’s Deputies) Gyalrong Dawa Tsering, Chitue Karma Choephel, Chitue Yungdrung Gyaltsen and election commissioner Thinley Khenrab had to face the angry Tibetans who were furiously agitated by the decision to nullify their votes.
Meanwhile, questions are raised over the Election Commission’s announcing the invalidation of votes even before the committee began its investigation. Moreover, the involvement of deputies as witnesses during counting of votes as per the Tibetan Charter and inclusion of deputies in committees probing electoral malpractices are what the Election Commission or the Tibetan Parliament may have to answer to justify their being independent bodies.
Opinions are expressed in various circles about the appropriate decision that the Election Commission should have made. Many believe that it (Election Commission) should have withheld the votes from Bhandara till the committee submits its report and then decided whether to invalidate or not.
Though the 423 votes, if not invalidated, will not make much difference to the landslide margin between the leading candidate Samdhong Rinpoche and the rest but it sure is a matter of concern for a democracy if the people who live under that democracy really have accepted it as a blessing from the Dalai Lama.
