THANK YOU – TIBETANS IN THE UK AND EUROPE

Thank you – Tibetans in the UK and Europe

From Tsering Passang

Sunday, 10 January 2021 | London

2021 Preliminary Election Results of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile

‘Mang-tso’ or democracy is one of the major gifts to the Tibetan people by His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama. Tibetans in exile have been enjoying democracy whilst experimenting with this new concept over the past 60 years. We still have a lot of good learning to do in the years ahead, in my view.

As per the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, there are currently 45 parliamentary seats for grabs – 40 in India/Nepal, 2 in Europe & Africa, 2 in North and South Americas, and 1 in the Australasia regions. The Tibetan parliamentary elections are held every five years.

On 2nd and 3rd January, the preliminary round of the parliamentary election was conducted in the UK despite the difficult circumstances due to the COVID-19 restrictions. A week later, on 9th January, the Regional Election Sub-Commission for Northern Europe announced the latest election results – votes cast by Tibetans in the UK, Ireland, and Sweden.

This latest announcement from the Regional Election Sub-Commission for Northern Europe clearly shows that I have secured the highest votes amongst the parliamentary candidates for Europe & Africa constituency. I am deeply humbled and thankful for placing me into the highest pedestal in my home country. Regrettably, these votes are not adequate for me to be in the next and final round in April.

In Europe, the vote banks are based in countries such as Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Holland where the Tibetan populations are much higher than in the UK. So, in short, I will not be going into the final round.

During these past six weeks, I have come across some amazing people, whom I had not previously met, supporting my 2021 Chithu election campaign based on my service records, potentials, and for being issue-oriented. Many of these individuals include former and current responsible Tibetan community leaders, professionals, and Tibetans from Tibet who are residing in various European countries, the US, Canada, India, Nepal, and Australia. And of course, there are my core supporters here in the UK. I will cherish their genuine support, trust and honest conversations for our shared interest in Tibet and the Tibetan people’s just cause.

I wish to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation and thanks to all those who have supported me with their votes and encouragement in the preliminary round. I also would like to extend my warmest congratulations and best wishes to all the candidates including those who will be going into the final round.

As a concerned Tibetan, I will continue to work for Tibet and the Tibetan cause, which I have been doing over the past two decades. For me, it’s a great honour to take part in the 2021 Tibetan parliamentary election to represent the Tibetan communities in Europe & Africa and more importantly, to be a voice for the Tibetans inside Tibet. I am also immensely proud to have engaged in a positive and clean election campaign.

To conclude, our country, Tibet, is still under illegal occupation by a foreign country – China. Fellow Tibetans, we must all unite and direct our energy, resources, and efforts to challenge the Chinese regime to restore freedoms and justice in Tibet. Bhod Gyalo!