Penpa Tsering emerges frontrunner in first round of elections for post of Sikyong

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, February 8

Former Speaker of Tibetan Parliament in exile Penpa Tsering emerged as frontrunner in preliminary round of the elections held for the post president (Sikyong) of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) also known as Tibetan government in exile, the result for which were declared on Monday.

In the results declared today, the Election Commissioner Wangdu Tsering announced that Penpa Tsering was leading in the first round of elections securing 24,488 votes, followed by Kalsang Dorjee former bureaucrat in CTA, securing close to 14,554 votes. Gyari Dolma, former home minister, trailed Dorjee with a difference of around 1,200 votes, leaving her out of the race for Sikyong. She got 13,363 votes.

A total of about 60,000 exiled Tibetans in 30 different countries across the world cast their votes in the elections, which also chose candidates for the 45 members of the exile Tibetan Parliament.

Penpa Tsering was born in the Bylakuppe Refugee Camp in 1967. He attended the Central School for Tibetans (Bylakuppe), topping the merit list in Class XII and later did his graduation Madras Christian College, Chennai, where he majored in Economics.

He served as the General Secretary for the Tibetan Freedom Movement and the Nigerian-Tibet Friendship Association during his college years. He ran a private export business, and later a restaurant.

He served as Executive Director at the Tibetan Parliamentary and Research Centre (TPPRC) at New Delhi from 2001-2008.

He was elected to the 12th and 13th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and became Speaker of the House of the 14th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile in 2008, and was re-elected the following term. He was appointed to the North America Representative of the Dalai Lama in 2016 for a year.

Penpa Tsering had differences with present incumbent Lobsang Sangay and was removed as representative of the Dalai Lama and also faced an inquiry.

The first round or preliminary election for the post of Sikyong was held in January. As per the rules, now the top two candidates in first round of elections would contest for the final round that of elections that would be held in April this year. The other candidates would be considered only if one of top two candidates decides to withdraw from the final round of elections.

As per the election commission those who could be candidates for the post of Sikyong will be declared on March 21, with two contestants for the post of Sikyong, and more than 90 candidates for members of Parliament (two for each parliamentary seat). There will be time for about a month for those in the list to withdraw their names, so that the final list could be drawn.

The final round of voting will be held on April 11, and the official results will announced on May 20. The new members of the Parliament will take their oath of office on May 28, and the new Sikyong will likely be sworn-in in the following days.

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