DHARMSALA, India (AP) – Hundreds of Tibetans in exile faced rain and cold on Sunday in the northern Indian city of Dharmsala, where the exiled government is based, and voted for their new political leader when the five-year term is over. of the current ruler approaches the end.
Voters wore masks, maintained social distance and used hand sanitizer when voting during the first round of the election. Many helped elderly voters to fill in the correct forms.
In this first round of voting, two candidates for the post of president of the government will be selected, including 90 parliamentarians. The second and last round of voting will take place in April.
“With that, we are sending a clear message to Beijing that Tibet is under occupation, but Tibetans in exile are free. And if we have a chance, an opportunity, we prefer democracy, ”said Lobsang Sangay, who will soon be ending his second and final term as a Tibetan political leader. “No matter what you do, the pride of Tibetans, the feeling of Tibetans, is to be democratic and to practice democracy.”
Formed in 1959, the Tibetan government in exile – now called the Central Administration of Tibet – has executive, judicial and legislative powers, with candidates for the post of Sikyong, or president, elected since 2011 by popular vote.
China says Tibet has historically been part of its territory since the middle of the 13th century, and its Communist Party has ruled the Himalayan region since 1951. But many Tibetans say they have been effectively independent for most of their history, and that the government Chinese want to explore their resource-rich region and, at the same time, destroy their cultural identity.
The Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetans, and his followers have lived in Dharmsala since they fled Tibet after a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.
Many young Tibetans are running for parliamentary elections this year. As the Dalai Lama ages, there is a growing perception among young Tibetans that they should participate more in the government.
“As someone who has studied technology, I believe I can try to make parliamentary communications more secure and fill the gaps in the information database,” said Lobsang Sither, 38, who is running in the current election.
Sither said that previous governments have largely focused on the Tibetan diaspora and not enough on Tibetans within Tibet.
“This has to change. Unless we have reliable information about the situation within Tibet, we cannot formulate policies to help Tibetans there, ”said Sither.
China has not recognized the Tibetan government in exile and has not had any dialogue with representatives of the Dalai Lama since 2010. India regards Tibet as part of China, although it is hosting Tibetan exiles.
Some Tibetan groups defend Tibet’s independence, as little progress has been made in dialogue with China.
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This story has been corrected to show that Lobsang Sither is 38, not 48.