By Tenzin Tsering
Dharamsala, June 21: With the preliminary election for Kalon Tripa scheduled on October 3 when the Tibetan exiles will nominate their candidates for the highest elected post in the exile Tibetan administration, the Tibetan Women’s Association today launched ‘Kalon Tripa Mass Mock Election’ slated for July 6th 2010, as its “action plan to ensure a higher voter turnout during the elections”.
The date for the final round of the General Election was announced by the Election Commissioner Office as set for March 20 2011 which will see the election of both the Prime Minister and the Parliamentarians.
Sixty five participants from 30 different regional chapters of the Tibetan Women’s Association from India and Nepal have converged in Dharamsala for a two day training on organizing the ‘Kalon Tripa Mass Mock Election’ set to take place on the occasion of the 75th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The training was opened today at the TCV Peace house and attended among others by the Election Commissioner Jampal Chosang.
TWA aims to carry out the Mock Election in all its regional chapters spread across 40 Tibetan settlements in 6 countries and 3 continents. “This will prepare the Tibetans for the upcoming preliminary and final election of the kalon Tripa” said Tenzin Dhardon Sharling, Research and Media Officer of the TWA.
“Post mock election, TWA will produce a report on the voters’ participation and the names of the candidates elected by the voters on the July 6 thereby signifying the importance of the upcoming election of a Kalon tripa”, the TWA said in a press statement.
“We have targeted 100,000 people to participate in the Mock Election which is a wake up call for our Tibetan citizens to gear up for the Kalon Tripa Election,” said Dolkar Lhamo Kirti, President of the Tibetan Women’s Association.
“It is first time ever for the far flung Tibetan settlement, Tenzin Gang in the remote North East India with a population of around 700 Tibetans to have a representative to attend such an initiative. I will educate the Tibetans in my settlement on the importance of exercising their franchise and ensure maximum participation from them in the coming Kalon Tripa Election,” Dawa Dolma, President of the Tibetan Women’s Association, Tenzin Gang Tibetan settlement in Arunachal Pradesh said.
Estimates show that some 120,000 of the approximately 150,000 Tibetan exiles 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 2011 Kalon Tripa Election will witness the election of a second directly elected Tibetan Prime Minister and more significantly, the first democratic transfer of the executive power in the history of Tibetan nation.
Prof. Samdong Rinpoche who is currently running his second consecutive term as the Prime Minister will complete his tenure in August next year.
After the Preliminary round of election, TWA aims to convene a televised debate among the elected candidates to give each of the contesters a platform and an opportunity to affirm their candidacy. TWA hopes to help the Tibetan voters to form their decisions on whom to vote and thus encourage better participation in the election of the next Kalon Tripa.
