Exiled Tibetans Gear Up for 2025-2026 General Election: EC Sets Preliminary Polls on February 1

By Tenzin Chokyi

DHARAMSHALA 7 October: The Election Commission of the Central Tibetan Administration, commonly referred to as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, today announced the official schedule for the 2025-2026 Tibetan General Election. The Preliminary Election will take place on 1st February 2026, followed by the Final Election on 26th April 2026. 

The election will determine both the next Sikyong (President) and members of the 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. This year’s election will be held under the slogan “I am Tibet, I vote for Tibet,” symbolizing the unity and collective strength of the Tibetan people.

Voter registration will be open for a one-month period, from 8th October to 8th November 2025, across all regions of the global Tibetan diaspora, in accordance with local time zones. This includes Tibetan communities across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Australia.

Tibetans who turn 18 years old by 23rd November 2025 and have their Green Book dues paid up to 31st March 2026 are eligible to register. All voters are required to carry their Green Book to exercise their voting rights.

In the previous general election, approximately 80,000 Tibetans registered to vote, but only 60,000 cast their ballots, marking a significant shortfall of 20,000 voters. When asked about the reasons behind this drop and possible demographic patterns, the Election Commission did not provide a clear explanation, and no conclusive report has been released to date.

To ensure a smooth and fair electoral process in accordance with the Election Rules and Regulations, the Election Commission will conduct official tours to educate the public about election procedures. Additionally, training for Regional Election Commissioners is scheduled for 16th November 2025.

The Election Commission has also cautioned the public to remain vigilant against “online rumour mongering and disinformation”, particularly in light of the growing misuse of social media. 

“One of the major challenges facing our society today is the dissemination of false information through misuse of social media, which threatens social harmony and unity among Tibetans. Therefore, the Tibetan public must be vigilant against online rumour mongering and disinformation,” the Election Commission stated in its press release today. 

The Election Commission further issued a 14 point guidelines for the electoral candidates of the 2025-2026 Elections of Sikyong and Members of the 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile: 

1. Candidates for the election of Sikyong and the 18thTibetan Parliament in Exile cannot use picture of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibetan national flag, the emblem of the Central Tibetan Administration and map of Tibet,for their election campaign.
2. By adhering both in letter and spirit to the Charter and the Election Rules and Regulations, CTA,candidates must strictly follow the model code of conduct and guidelines issued by the Election Commission for the electoral process.
3. Although candidates may conducttheir election campaigns through speeches, correspondence, publications, and personal websites, they cannot make personal criticisms, actions causing discord, religious and regional divisions, bribery, or any form of inducements.
4. The fundamental rights of individual voters must be protected. Exerting coercion or pressurising someone to vote or not to vote is strictly prohibited. Furthermore, no candidate, supporter, or anyone may solicit support or assistance related to election matters from official staff of the Central Tibetan Administration, particularly election officials, by exploiting their positions or seeking favour.
5. Candidates are not allowed to disseminate false information or distribute materials about the electoral procedures of the Central Election Commission to the public or media outlets.
6. Candidates must respect the local laws of their respective places of residence. Those candidates based in politically sensitive regions must exercise caution and vigilance. They must comply with guidelines of the Election Commission. In particular, candidates and their supporters must not cause obstructions or hindrance tocampaign events of other candidates.
7. As stipulated in Article 24 (7) of the Election Regulations,all provincial or regional associations, religious institutions and NGOs are prohibited from releasing nominations and endorsing candidates for the elections of Sikyong and members of Tibetan Parliament.
8. Campaign materials such as announcements, leaflets, and banners for any candidate must clearly display the name and address of the person responsible for printing these materials.
9. In accordance with the electoral rules and regulations, no electoral campaign activities are allowedin schools.
10. Candidates must remain vigilant against disinformation and rumors on social media platforms etc.
11. Candidates must inform the Regional Election Commission forany election campaign activities that they undertake in their respective areas.
12. Candidates may carry out campaign activities during both preliminary as well as final elections.However, in accordance with Article 24 (7-b), they shall cease their campaign activities two days prior to the election dayuntil the announcement of the results.
13. As specified in Article 16 (5) of the Election Rules and Regulations, disputes related to local election matters must be investigated and resolved by the Regional Election Commission. Therefore, individual candidates or their supporters may approach the Regional Election Commission to resolve disputes, rather than directly approaching the Central Election Commission. However, if anyone is dissatisfied with the judgment of the Regional Election Commission, they can appeal to the Central Election Commission.
14. If anyone is found guilty of violating the above-mentioned guidelines, penalties will be imposed in accordance with the severity of the violation as per the provisions of Article 25 of the Election Rules and Regulations.