Buddhist monks prepare to cast their ballots at a polling station in Dharamsala in India durin the first round of voting on February 1, 2026

Buddhist monks prepare to cast their ballots at a polling station in Dharamsala in India durin the first round of voting on February 1, 2026

 Sanjay BAID

Tibetans outside Chinese control vote on Sunday for a government-in-exile, an election of heightened significance as they brace for an inevitable, eventual, future without their revered spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

The India-based Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) -- condemned by China as "nothing but a separatist political group" -- is a key institution for the exiles, especially after the Dalai Lama handed over political power in 2011.

Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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