22/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - Tibetans elect government in exile. About 85,000 Tibetans around the world voted on 20 March for a new leader and members of parliament in exile “to take up the resistance against Chinese rule over their Himalayan homeland”, says the ALDE Group in the European Parliament in a press release published on Monday 21 March. Edward McMillan-Scott and Kristiina Ojuland highlighted the importance of this election for Tibet, particularly as it took place days after His Holiness the Dalai Lama announced his retirement as the political head of the Central Tibetan Administration (formerly referred to as the Tibetan government-in-exile). McMillan-Scott praised the peaceful election and said the Chinese government could learn from this democratic process. Ojuland stressed that the Tibetan issue must be raised whenever meeting the representatives of the People's Republic of China: “We need to insist that the People's Republic of China applies its own constitution, providing autonomy to national minorities”. The election results are expected on 27 April. (L.C./transl.rt)