Tibetans living in India and about a dozen other countries on Sunday cast their ballots in the preliminary round of voting for a new 44-member Parliament-in-exile and Sikyong (Prime Minister).

Over 87,000 exiled Tibetans living in different countries including India, Australia and the United States are eligible to vote in the election. For the post of prime minister, five candidates including incumbent Lobsang Sangay are in the fray.

In Dharamsala, capital of the Tibetan government-in-exile, great rush was seen in polling stations, which were set up at 10 different locations.

Tenzin, a Tibetan official, said, “Large voter turnouts were reported from all the Tibetan settlements and Tibetan communities across India and the world.” The final round of voting is scheduled to take place on 20 March, 2016.

The ongoing general election to elect the 16th Tibetan Parliament-in-exile is the second direct election of the Tibetan leadership since the complete devolution of political authority by the Dalai Lama in 2011.

The 80-year-old remains the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism and the figurehead of the struggle for autonomy for Tibet.

Harvard-educated Mr. Sangay, the incumbent prime minister of the exiled government, cast his vote at Dharamsala.

Though Mr. Sangay is believed to ahead of others in the race for premiership, rival candidate Lukar Jam Atsok is looking to make waves, advocating for Tibet’s complete independence from China rather than the exiled government’s more moderate stance of greater autonomy for their homeland.