Pipon elections held in Lachung

STAND-OFF AT KHEDUM BLOCK AS BOTH CANDIDATES CLAIM VICTORY
GANGTOK, 19 Dec: Coming close on the heels of the recently-concluded panchayat elections comes news of another interesting democratic tradition of the State - the election of the Pipons under the Dzumsa system in North Sikkim. Held on the first day of Losoong, 14 Dec, the process turned tense in one of the blocks of Lachung.
The elections for the posts of Pipon in the two blocks of Lachung, namely Lema Block and Khedum Block, were held on 14 December; while the election in Lema went peacefully, there is now a stand-off between two contesting candidates for the Pipon seat in Khedum block with both claiming to be winners. While this had initially led to a tense situation in Lachung, as DC [North], TW Khangsarpa, informs, the situation has calmed down now.
Two candidates claiming to have won the election at Khedum are Nedup Lachungpa and Karma Lachungpa; the latter is also the incumbent Pipon who was contesting for a second term as Pipon for Khedum. It is informed that Nedup Lachungpa had been declared winner by the Chultimpa of the Lachung Gumpa.
On the other hand Karma Lachungpa also declared himself as winner and proceeded to submit his winning declaration to the concerned authority, the Chungthang SDM who was present at the venue of the election which took place at the Thomchy School ground. As of now the matter is yet to be resolved.
The DC, while confirming the stand-off between the two contestants, informed that the matter will now proceed to the court of the prescribed authority which is the Secretary, RMD Department. This is as per the Sikkim Panchayat Act in which is also incorporated the procedure of election to the Dzumsa in North Sikkim. In fact the DC also held a meeting between the two candidates and informed them of the process to be followed and the authority which will finally dispense the matter.
With the RMDD Secretary presently in New Delhi, the matter remains unresolved. As regards the Pipon elections itself, the DC stated that since this was a traditional kind of election the administration does not involve itself directly in the matter or interfere with the process and especially as the election process has not been codified. The only charge of the administration is the maintenance of law and order.
So the reason why both candidates claim to have won has not been scrutinized yet and will have to await the arrival of the prescribed authority. However both claim to have got the majority votes of the 284 strong electorate of Khedum block, Lachung. The Pipon elections for Lachen are scheduled for February 2013.