Penpa Tsering () (born 1967) is a Tibetan politician. He is the second democratically elected

Sikyong The () is the political leader of the Central Tibetan Administration, a Tibetan exile organisation also known as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile based on the 2011 Charter of Tibetans-in-exile. The title was created in 2012 after the 14th Dalai ...

of the

Central Tibetan Administration The Central Tibetan Administration (, , ), often referred to as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, is a non-profit political organization based in Dharamshala, India. Its organization is modeled after an elective parliamentary government, comp ...

. He succeeded the last Sikyong

Lobsang Sangay Lobsang Sangay (, ; born 5 September 1968) is a Tibetan-American politician who was Kalon Tripa of the Tibetan Administration from 2011 to 2012, and Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration from 2012 to 2021. The Tibetan Administration ...

on 27 May 2021. Penpa Tsering was the speaker of the

Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration The Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE), officially the Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration, is the unicameral and highest Legislature, legislative organ of the Central Tibetan Administration, the government-in-exile of the Tibet Au ...

(Tibetan Parliament in Exile) for two terms between 2008 and 2016.

Early life

Penpa Tsering was born in a refugee camp in Bylakuppe in the Indian state of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

in 1967. After topping his schooling, he graduated with Honours degree in economics from Madras Christian College. Following stints in the Tibetan Freedom Movement and the Nigerian-Tibet Friendship Association during his college days, he went on to serve as the executive director at the Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre (TPPRC) in Delhi between 2001 and 2008. TPPRC is a joint project of the Friedrich-Naumann Foundation and Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies, with a mandate of "promoting the political programme of the Tibetan administration".

Political career

Penpa was elected to the Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) for two terms from 1996 and 2006. Following this he became the speaker of the 14th and 15th Parliament between 2008 and 2016. In July 2016, he was appointed the 'North America Representative of the Dalai Lama, Representative to Office of Tibet, Washington, D.C.' for a year. He formally took charge on 29 August 2016. As Representative, his duties involved meeting leaders and officials, chairing cultural events related to Tibet, and addressing Tibetans and Tibet related issues. Penpa was runner up in the Sikyong election in 2016. He announced his candidacy for 2021 election on 3 September 2020. During the 2021 CTA general election, Penpa secured 34,324 votes, 5,417 more than Kaydor Aukatsang (Kelsang Dorjee Aukatsang) who secured the second highest votes; a total of 63,991 Tibetans voted. Penpa has spoken about "resolving the issue of Tibet", "taking care of the welfare of Tibetans in exile", pursuing "all possible ways to communicate with China," "facilitat(ing) a visit of the Dalai Lama to China," and advocating for the release of "Panchen Lama

Gedhun Choekyi Nyima Gedhun Choekyi Nyima (born 25 April 1989) is the Dalai Lama appointed 11th Panchen Lama belonging to the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Central Government of China rejected such appointment. The 14th Dalai Lama recognized and announce ...

and all other political prisoners". Penpa was sworn in as Sikyong on 27 May 2021 in the presence of the Dalai Lama who attended virtually. The oath was administered by Chief Justice Commissioner Sonam Norbu Dagpo. He often quotes the ''middle way'' and guidance of

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...

Early life

Political career

References

Further reading