18 March 2006
Tibetan exiles go to polls
(AFP) Tibetan exiles went to the polls to elect a prime minister and members of the 46-member Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies based in Dharamsala. The one-day ballot is being held at 53 polling stations set up by the election commission for Tibetans living in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Europe and North America. It is the final round of polls to elect members of the Tibetan parliament in exile, and it is also the preliminary election for prime minister. It is only the second time that Tibetan exiles have participated in popular elections for a Kalon Tripa. The first direct vote for a prime minister was in 2001. More than 82,000 of the estimated100,000 Tibetans living in exile have registered to vote and there are 80 candidates for office. A final round of voting to elect the prime minister will take place on 03 June 2006 with the results expected a month later. Assembly results are due in early April.