Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama offered prayers on Wednesday as Penpa Tsering, the elected leader of Tibet's government-in-exile, was sworn in for a second term. The ceremony took place at the Main Tibetan Temple in McLeod Ganj, near Dharamsala, India.
Central Tibetan Administration
The India-based Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), which China denounces as a separatist group, serves as a key institution for Tibetan exiles. This role became particularly significant after the Dalai Lama relinquished political authority in 2011. The CTA is considered a representative body for the estimated 150,000 Tibetans living in exile worldwide.
Election and oath-taking
Elections were held in February and April across 27 countries, excluding China. Penpa Tsering, known as the "sikyong" or leader, secured 61 percent of the vote in the preliminary round, enough to win outright without a runoff. Tsering aligns with the Dalai Lama's "Middle Way" policy, seeking autonomy rather than full independence for Tibet.
During the ceremony, Tsering took the oath of office before justice officials, with the Dalai Lama in attendance. The event was broadcast live by the CTA. Traditional dancers performed as crowds, including red-robed monks and nuns, watched in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala.
Exile community and governance
The registered voters for this election numbered 91,000, comprising Buddhist monks in the high Himalayas, political exiles in South Asian megacities, and refugees in Australia, Europe, and North America. The five-year parliament, which convenes twice annually, consists of 45 members worldwide: 30 representing three traditional provinces, 10 representing five religious traditions, and five representing the diaspora.
Exiled voters represent only a fraction of ethnic Tibetans. The CTA estimates the global Tibetan population at six million, while China's 2020 census counted over seven million within its borders.
China's stance and Dalai Lama's future
Beijing, which sent troops to the high-altitude plateau in 1950, regards Tibet as an integral part of China. It condemns the exiled government as an illegal organization that violates Chinese constitution and laws.
The 90-year-old Dalai Lama, who has lived in India since fleeing Lhasa in 1959 after a failed uprising, insists he has many years left. However, supporters are mindful that China declared last year it must approve the Buddhist leader's eventual successor. The Dalai Lama maintains that only his India-based office holds that right. Tibetan Buddhists believe he is the 14th reincarnation of a spiritual lineage dating back to 1391.
