Final Poll for Tibetan Welfare Officer Today
Thursday, 29 November 2007, 3:23 p.m.
A man casts his vote this morning at a polling booth in Gangchen Kyishong (photo: Sangjey kep) |
Dharamshala: The final election for the post of Tibetan Welfare Officer of Dharamshala was held today, as two candidates shortlisted by the regional election commission vie for the post.
According to the regional election commission, five polling stations were put in place in and around Dharamshala.
A total of 818 votes were cast from Tibetan constituencies in and around Dharamshala during the preliminary voting conducted on 17 November.
From an initial list of 12 nominees, two are short listed for the final round of election as provisioned in clause 1 (c) of article 78 of election code.
Among them Tsering Phuntsok, who current serves as secretary of the Tibetan Freedom Movement has secured 228 votes and Lodoe Sangpo, a Tibetan lawyer by profession got 88 in the preliminary voting.
The local Tibetan assembly of Dharamshala has earlier passed a resolution in favour of electing welfare officer under popular voting by the people as enshrined in the Charter of Tibetans in Exile.
To be elected as the welfare officer, the nominee has to obtain 51 per cent of the total vote cast. In case of failure to secure the required percentage, the incumbent welfare officer, Sonam Choephel Shosur, who was appointed by the Central Tibetan Administration would either continue or a new one will be appointed.
The Tibetans in Dharamshala went into a similar poll in 2005, but failed to get the quorum of two nominees after the preliminary round.