Dharamshala: Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong of the 16th Kashag (Cabinet) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), was sworn in as the Sikyong of the 17th Kashag earlier this morning at the Tsuglagkhang courtyard in the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama following his reelection.
After securing 61.025 per cent of the total votes in the preliminary round of the recently concluded Tibetan general election, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, under a provision of the Election Rules and Regulations that did not require him to contest the final round, was elected as the 6th directly elected Sikyong (formerly known as Kalon Tripa). His new Kashag, the 17th since the establishment of the Central Tibetan Administration (formerly the Tibetan Government in Exile) following the occupation of Tibet by the People’s Liberation Army, will continue the Kashag system—an institutional framework sustained for more than 275 years which is one of the world’s enduring models of continuous governance.
Several respected dignitaries and distinguished international guests attended the ceremony, including a cross-party parliamentary delegation from the United Kingdom comprising MP Chris Law of the Scottish National Party and Chair of the APPG Tibet; MP Kerry McCarthy of the Labour Party and former Government Minister; MP Wera Hobhouse of the Liberal Democrats and APPG Tibet Member; and MP Alicia Kearns of the Conservative Party and former Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
From Latin America, Deputy Luis Fabian Mala of Chile and Deputy Jose Francisc of El Salvador attended the event. Representing India, the host country of the CTA, were Shri Tapir Gao, Member of Lok Sabha and Co-Convenor of the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet; Shri Sujeet Kumar, Member of Rajya Sabha; and Shri Atya Nanda, Joint Secretary of the National Commission for Minorities.
From the Tibetan side, attendees included Tibetan Chief Justice Commissioner Yeshi Wangmo; Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel; Sikyong Penpa Tsering; Tibetan Justice Commissioner Dawa Phunkyi; Tibetan Justice Commissioner Phagpa Tsering; Kasur (former Kalon) Changra Tharlam Dolma; Kasur Dolma Gyari; Kasur Norzin Dolma; Election Commissioner Lobsang Yeshi; Public Service Commissioner Karma Yeshi; Auditor General Tashi Topgyal; members of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile; and Secretaries of the Central Tibetan Administration.
Representatives of major Tibetan civil society organisations, CTA staff members, students from nearby Tibetan schools, and members of the general Tibetan public were also among the attendees.
Upon arrival of His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama to the dais, the ceremony officially kicked off with a rendition of Tibetan and Indian national anthems. Emceed by the Secretary of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission, Lhaduk, the event then proceeded with an utterance of auspicious words by a group of monks from the Namgyal Monastery.
The day’s principal event—the swearing-in ceremony of Sikyong Penpa Tsering for his second term in office—then commenced. Yeshi Wangmo, Chief Justice Commissioner of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission, subsequently rose to administer the oath of office to the Sikyong.
As Sikyong Penpa Tsering took the oath of office and secrecy, the gathering erupted in warm applause, followed by congratulatory greetings from the Tibetan leadership of the Central Tibetan Administration. Sikyong also paid his respects to His Holiness the Dalai Lama through prostration and the offering of a mandala, along with the three auspicious representations symbolising the Buddha’s body, speech, and mind.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering then delivered his inaugural address as the head of the new Kashag in both Tibetan and English, addressing the diverse audience gathered for the occasion.
The ceremony also featured an array of vibrant cultural performances by young Tibetan students from schools in and around Dharamshala, reflecting the younger generation’s continued dedication to preserving Tibet’s rich and diverse cultural heritage and traditions amid the looming threats to their survival, identity, and cultural continuity.
The programme continued with congratulatory remarks from the distinguished international guests on the successful re-election of Sikyong Penpa Tsering for a second term, along with their best wishes for the new Kashag in its future endeavours toward the early resolution of the Tibet-China conflict and the well-being of Tibetans in exile.
One after another, the guests reaffirmed their continued support for the Tibetan people’s struggle for freedom and justice, while also expressing deep admiration for Tibet’s rich cultural, linguistic, and religious heritage. The delegations further commended the resilience and determination of the Tibetan people in preserving these vital aspects of Tibetan identity despite the growing challenges they continue to face.
In the same vein, the visiting delegations conveyed their profound respect and admiration for His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a moral and spiritual leader whose teachings and lifelong commitment continue to inspire global efforts toward world peace, religious harmony, universal human values, and the promotion of love and compassion.
Furthermore, the distinguished guests expressed serious concerns over the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibet and the increasing challenges faced by Tibetans in preserving their unique identity under the systematic and institutionalised policies of the government of the People’s Republic of China. They noted that these challenges have been further intensified through the enactment of laws and policies restricting the study and use of the Tibetan language, limiting traditional religious practices, and interfering in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of recognising reincarnated religious figures, including Beijing’s attempts to appropriate the authority to recognise the reincarnation of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
With a vote of thanks from Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the event successfully concluded.
