Dharamshala: Election Commissioner of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) declared the dates for voting the next members of the Tibetan Parliament and Kalon Tripa (Chairman of the cabinet) to be on the same day in a press conference held in Dharamsala on Thursday.
Next Tibetan Parliament is the 15th term Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile since the first Tibetan parliament-in-exile was formed in 1960.
The next Kalon Tripa is the third term Kalon Tripa who will be elected by the exile Tibetans after the present Kalon Tripa Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche who have served for the two terms from September 2001.
Election Commissioner Mr. Jamphel Choesang said, office of the election commission have already sent first announcement regarding the next election and will send another soon for registration of the voters.
The dates for registration of the said election will begin from 18th June to 18th August 2010. Mr. Jamphel Choesang said, “ By 18th August all the registered list of the voters should reach the office of the Election Commission”. He also said that the registration date may extend beyond 18th August. A person can vote at any location of voting if he or she has already registered and carries the registered requirements where the person is voting at, added the election commissioner.
The preliminary date for voting will be on 3rd October 2010 and the final date for voting for the next Members of Tibetan Parliament-in-exile and the Kalon Tripa will be on 20th March 2011.
Mr. Jamphel Choesang further said, because of the importance of the next election, Tibetans voluntarily made efforts to make the Tibetan people well informed for electing the next Kalon Tripa by launching the website www.kalontripa.org. The election commissioner made it clear that this website is a private initiative and is not a CTA’s website.
Mr. Jamphel Choesang introduced two new Additional Election Commissioners, Ven. Geshe Rigzin Choedak and Mr. Chutpar Yangkho Gyal, who were appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to assist the Chief Election Commissioner during the elections.
Additional Election Commissioners Ven. Geshe Rigzin Choedak is the Principal at Dolmaling nunnery and Mr. Chutpar Yangkho Gyal is the Secretary of Sheja Kundue Tsomdig an organization of the writers in Tibetan language.