Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Dec 18: In an exercise of grassroots democracy of the exile Tibetan polity, the people of Ladakh’s Sonamling Tibetan settlement elected Tashi Dhondup as the new Chief Representative Office on Sunday.
The results, announced by the local Election Commission on Tuesday, revealed that Tashi Dhondup secured 912 votes, defeating his opponent Dhondup Tsering, who secured 845 votes. Of the 1,766 total votes cast, nine were declared invalid.
Tashi Dhondup, a resident of Camp no. 9 in Ladakh Sonamling, has been working as a project officer in the settlement office under two previous chief representative officers. Speaking to Phayul, the newly elected CRO stated, “I have worked under two CROs in Ladakh and have some experience with administrative work. Since Ladakh is among the largest Tibetan settlements in India, and with both Leh and Jangthang facing their own challenges, I am familiar with the problems and will seek solutions by collaborating with the local Ladakh administration and the Central Tibetan Administration. My aim is to help and serve the people, which is why I participated in the election.”
The election process encountered controversy just two days before voting. On December. 13, the local Election Commission issued a statement addressing a public endorsement made by the incumbent Ladakh Tibetan Settlement Officer, Dhondup Tashi. During an event commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize conferment to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on December 10, Dhondup Tashi publicly declared his intention to vote for candidate Dorje Tsering. The Election Commission condemned this action as inappropriate, citing the misuse of an official platform for political purposes. As a result, Dhondup Tashi’s voting rights were revoked for the final round of the election.
The outgoing CRO Dhondup Tashi who has served in the position for a few times was also elected as the member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile for one term. He voluntarily resigned after being elected for a second time in the TPiE. He is a well-known grassroots leader in Ladakh securing mandates in the past few elections for the position of the CRO.
The Ladakh Sonam Ling Tibetan Settlement is one of the largest Tibetan settlements in the exile. In 2010, it became one of the few Tibetan settlements where local residents elected their Chief Representative Officer through election. Twenty-two local administrators have served in the Ladakh Sonam Ling Settlement, with seventeen appointed from the central administration. From the eighteenth term onwards, local Tibetan residents have been electing their leaders through democratic means.
Though the Charter of Tibetans in Exile mandates elections for appointing Tibetan settlement officers across Tibetan settlements in India and Nepal, most settlement officers are directly appointed by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
