EC Finds Fraud, Punishes Nepal-Choejor Constituency — But Counts Tainted Votes

DHARAMSALA, 25 April:  Following grave and multiple violations in the preliminary phase of the 2025-2026 Tibetan General Election, the Election Commission(EC) has countermanded the final election in the Choejor (Boudha and Jorpati) constituency in Nepal, as a penalty for the misuse of ballot papers through a conspiracy that affects the overall integrity of the election. 

The EC has communicated this desision in a directive it issued to the additional regional election officer-in-charge of the Choejor (Boudha and Jorpati) in Nepal on 23 April, after it found the practice of classic ballot stuffing, including a voter casting multiple ballots, or multiple ballots cast with the same handwriting- which the EC said it found practised 10, 20,40,70, or 100 times in such cases.

The EC has found forged or fabricated ballots, and ballots filled with the same handwriting or two different handwritings on a single ballot alongside a procedural violation- the failure to conclude the election on the mandated day. Additionally, invalid ballots were counted for by officials- whether from  gross negligence or deliberate misconduct by counting officials- amounting to a rigging of the count.

The EC stated that in some areas, a single committee member independently handled both ballot distribution and collection during the preliminary. The EC also found that a US-registered voter had cast ballots across all three regional jurisdictions — India, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Despite its findings, the EC stated that its three rounds of inquiry produced the same denial response from the local officials, who claimed that no violations had occurred during the election in Choejor, and that the election had been conducted in full compliance.

The subsequent denial, the EC stated, followed justification from the local officials claiming that approximately 60% of the Choejor electorate are monks and nuns from the same monastery and disciples of the same lama, and therefore, it was possible their handwriting would look the same.

Despite local officials from Choejor being fully aware that an investigation was ongoing,  the EC said  in the directive that they repeatedly contacted the EC in a manner it described as applying pressure and obstruction to interfere with the investigation.

Though the EC acknowledges that elections in Nepla are conducted under exceptionally difficult political circumstances, following its thorough investigation conducted in accordance with Articles 51 and 68(2) of the Election Regulations, it found grave and multiple violations in the preliminary phase which has forced the EC conclude that a free, fair, and secret election could no longer be guaranteed in the Choejor constituency under these circumstances- forcing the EC to countermand the final election. 

The EC said it launched the investigation  into the conduct of the preliminary election in Nepal’s Choejor constituency after receiving multiple formal complaints from Tibetan Parliament standing committee members who were present as observers during the preliminary ballot counting, as well asd written and verbal complaints from key figures, individuals, journalists and members of the public. 

Though the EC took measures after its investigations, the ballots from the constituency had already been counted and included in the preliminary round. The incumbent Sikyong (President) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Penpa Tsering, secured a second consecutive term by winning the preliminary round with over 60% of the votes (61.025%), thereby clinching the seat outright without the need for a final round. 

While the incumbent Sikyong — widely regarded as the frontrunner — would in all likelihood have secured his second term even in a final round, the question remains: why did the EC find malpractice, penalise the constituency, yet count the tainted votes?

Calls to the EC went unanswered and the EC has not yet addressed this question directly. Exiled Tibetans head to the polls tomorrow, 26 April, to cast their votes in the final round for the members of the 18th Tibetan Parliament in Exile.