EC Disqualifies Sikyong Candidate Tashi Topgyal for Five Years Over Multiple Charter Violations

By Tenzin Chokyi

DHARAMSALA 23 Dec: ​​Tashi Topgyal, a Sikyong candidate in the 2026 Tibetan general election, has been disqualified by the Tibetan Election Commission (EC) from contesting the election and from exercising his voting rights for five years, effective today, after the EC declared he breached several provisions of the Tibetan Charter and electoral rules during his campaign.

“From today, for a period of five years, [the EC] has decided to deprive [Tashi Topgyal] of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in official elections. Furthermore, if such violations continue to occur, please be informed that strict penalties will be imposed as per the regulations,” the EC of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile said at a press conference it held today announcing Topgyal’s electoral disqualification.  

The EC deemed that Topgyal was disqualified from both voting and contesting elections for the improper use of the Tibetan national flag on his campaign poster, in violation of EC guidelines, for openly disrespecting the Tibetan Charter and electoral rules, and for making groundless allegations against the Election Commission during his press conference as a Sikyong candidate on 29 November.

The Commission noted that Topgyal has publicly stated that he would not adhere to election campaign regulations that restrict the improper—though do not entirely ban— use of the Tibetan national flag, the image of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) logo, and the map of Tibet in election campaign posters.

The EC stated that this constituted a violation of Article 29, Clause 9 of the electoral rules, which requires candidates to implement EC guidelines on election conduct, as well as Article 3, Clause 1 of the Tibetan Charter, which requires “allegiance” to the CTA, and Clause 2, which requires faithful compliance with and observance of the Charter and the laws therein.

The Commission further stated that Topgyal’s characterisation of the election rules formulated by the previous EC as “wrong” and “ill-conceived,” claiming that they were created by individuals who gave no thought to the nation or its people, constitutes a violation of Article 24, Clause 5 of the electoral rules, which prohibits candidates from disseminating false or misleading information to the public and the media.

Additionally, his argument that restrictions on the use of national symbols have led to the current situation, where both the Sikyong and Members of Parliament stir controversies within Tibetan society—and his claim that the absence of a clear goal and strong resolve has allowed self-interest to override respect for the Tibetan national flag and anthem- has also been flagged as a violation of Article 28, Clause 5.

The Tibet Express reached out to Tashi Topgyal for a response to the EC verdict today, to which he stated that he has no comment for now.

However, in his earlier press statement, he had said that if he were denied the right to run as a Sikyong candidate based on this rule, he would challenge it, and if that did not succeed, he would accept the decision without objection.

Topgyal has clearly stated that he would not be in a position to contest his candidacy for the Sikyong election without the use of the aforementioned symbols. He argued that, while he may have technically breached the law, the absence of the Tibetan national anthem, the Tibetan national flag, and the Dalai Lama leaves Tibetans without a platform to fight for their nation, sing their national anthem, or raise the national flag.

“I may have breached the law. But without the Tibetan national anthem, the Tibetan national flag, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we have no space to fight for our nation, a place to sing our anthem and to raise our national flag. If these symbols are absent, it does not sit right with me,” Topgyal stated during a press engagement following his press conference in November.

He has further called for the full restoration of the use of these symbols. He said that having these symbols behind a candidate, whether for Sikyong or Parliament, gives them greater strength and pride, and added that even if his actions constituted a legal breach, it did not matter to him.

With the voter registration for the 2026 general election of exiled Tibetans closed as od 30 November, the EC disclosed the total number of registered Tibetan voters at 91,042, of which 56,749 registered voters were Tibetans from India, Nepal and Bhutan and 34,293 were from Tibetans from other countries abroad. 

Additionally, declaring that it is extremely important for the public to be able to know and recognise the candidates in the 2026 Sikyong and 18th Parliament members elections to ensure the smooth conduct of the elections, the EC urged the candidates in both the Sikyong and parliamentarian elections to actively engage in election campaigns and give interviews to the media.