Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 14 : Tibetan Chief Election Commissioner Lobsang Yeshi announced the final results for the members of the 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, saying that 45 representatives have been elected from different regions and communities worldwide.
Speaking toin Dharamshala, Yeshi on Wednesday said, "We have released the list of the names of the candidates who have won the election. 10 each from the regions, two from the religious representation, two from America, two from Europe, and one from Australasia, totalling 45 seats."
He added that provisions have also been made to fill vacancies in case any elected member resigns. "We have this regulation that if somebody resigns, we have to keep a waiting list and nominate from there itself," he said.
According to Yeshi, the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected members is expected to take place on May 31, while the election process is scheduled to conclude on May 27.
On the challenges faced during the election process, Yeshi said the election had been difficult amid alleged Chinese attempts to "derail" the democratic exercise.
"It was tough. It was tough. You know, the Chinese are making their best effort to derail the election process, and we, as a citizen of Tibet who believes in democratic values, they try to, you know, exercise their democratic franchise," he said.
He further said that despite differences of opinion and intense debates during the campaign period, Tibetans continued to participate in the democratic process. "So, in a way, they expressed their views, differences. So, definitely, it was a hectic debate that we had during the electoral process," Yeshi added.
Earlier, global solidarity for Tibetan Buddhists and growing concerns over China's interference in Tibetan religious affairs took centre stage at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the European Buddhist Union held in Brussels on May 9, according to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
During the conference session titled "Respect for the Religious Rights of Buddhists in Europe," Rigzin Genkhang, representative of the Dalai Lama and the CTA at the Office of Tibet Brussels, called on the international community to stand firmly with Tibetan Buddhists amid what the CTA described as Beijing's increasing attempts to control Tibetan spiritual traditions.
According to the CTA, Genkhang warned delegates about the People's Republic of China's intensifying efforts to interfere in the succession of the Dalai Lama, including through the recently enacted "Ethnic Unity Law." Addressing Buddhist representatives and European leaders at the Saint-Gilles town hall in Brussels, Genkhang stressed that the appointment of religious leaders must remain a spiritual matter free from political interference, the CTA reported.
"The selection of religious leaders is a purely spiritual matter that must remain free from state coercion," Genkhang stated, referring to a recent European Parliament resolution criticising Beijing's "Ethnic Unity Law," according to the CTA.
The CTA reported that the Annual General Meeting brought together key European figures, including Jean Spinette, Mayor of Saint-Gilles, Nicola Censini, Coordinator of Article 17 at the European Parliament, and Antonella Sberna, Vice-President of the European Parliament, who addressed the gathering through a video message. According to the CTA, Sberna congratulated the European Buddhist Union on its 50th anniversary and praised its role in preserving religious dialogue and spiritual traditions across Europe.
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