Launch of smartvote Tibet
Know Your Candidates!
Zurich, 18 December 2020 | smartvote Tibet, an innovative online tool helping Tibetan voters make an informed decision on election day, will be launched to the general public on Friday, 18 December 2020, with the participation of 3 Sikyong candidates and over 30 Chitue candidates to this date. The numbers are on a steep rise and candidates will be given the opportunity to join the platform until the final round of the elections.
The smartvote Tibet website www.smartvote-tibet.org builds on earlier initiatives such as kalontripa.com (2008-2011) but goes further in engaging the prospective Sikyong and Chitue candidates. For the first time, voters in the Tibetan elections will be able to have an overview of the candidates and examine them based on political preferences, issue-based discourse and full transparency. The website is available in both Tibetan and English.
“After nearly a year of building up to this moment, I’m excited for Tibetan voters to finally have the chance to use this online platform to find their matches. Our message to the voters is simple: Know your candidates!”, said Yeshi Deuss-Ngingthatshang, a founding member of Project Democracy.
The team behind smartvote Tibet has personally contacted over 110 prospective candidates and requested their participation by giving their answers to 37 questions.
“We’ve received positive feedback from prospective Sikyong and Chitue candidates on this new initiative and we thank those who have already taken part. We continue to encourage as many candidates as possible to participate”, said Wangpo Tethong, member of the smartvote Tibet initiative.
The 37 questions encompass a broad spectrum of topics but political neutrality was maintained by our inclusive approach wherein all Tibetans around the world were invited to take part. The questions were edited over several rounds, the scientific network Politools, as well as an advisory board comprised of prominent Tibetans, were invited to give feedback.
On Friday, voters can go to http://www.smartvote-tibet.org and answer the same 37 questions. At the end of the process, the voter will receive a list of candidates that best match their political profile. The smartvote Tibet online platform will be available through the preliminary elections right through to the final election day on April 11, 2021.
Smartvote Tibet is an initiative of the association “Project Democracy” that has been formed by a group of Tibetans who have a background in political science, history, psychology, technology and human rights law. The platform is an adapted version of smartvote, which was first developed in 2003 by Politools in Switzerland. The tool has been successfully implemented for regional and national elections in Switzerland, Australia and throughout Europe.
Press contacts:
Wangpo Tethong: +41 78 744 30 10
Dechen Pemba: +44 7402 185323
