PROFILE:
• Born in the Bylakuppe Refugee Camp in 1967
Education:
• Attended the Central School for Tibetans (Bylakuppe), topping the merit list in Class XII
• Attended Madras Christian College, Chennai, where he majored in Economics
Work History:
• Served as the General Secretary for the Tibetan Freedom Movement and the Nigerian Tibet Friendship Association during his college years
• After graduating, became General Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of Do-mey
• Ran a private export business, and later a restaurant
• Served as Executive Director at the Tibetan Parliamentary and Research Centre (TPPRC) at New Delhi from 2001-2008
• Was elected to the 12th and 13th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile
• Became Speaker of the House of the 14th Tibetan Parliament -in-Exile in 2008, and was re-elected the following term
• Appointed to the North America Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2016 for a year
Key Points:
• Experienced in working with Tibetans of different backgrounds at both the grassroot and administrative levels
• Seeks logical means in attaining Tibetan autonomy based on the Middle-Way Approach*
• Plans to carry out realistic and result-oriented policies that encourage cooperation while addressing different needs
• Advocates for a democratic and fair election process that refrain from creating division
• Vows to uphold the wisdom of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and intends to oppose any unfounded criticism against him
Former Speaker and runner-up of the 2016 Sikyong elections, Penpa Tsering, announces his decision to stand for the Sikyong position once more in a series of campaign videos uploaded to his official Facebook page on September 2. With a 30 year track record of working with the community and administration in exile, Tsering believes he is “at the right age and with the right experience to take the leadership of the Tibetan people.” Viewing the Sikyong seat as one that “enables the person occupying it to bring out his or her maximum potential” in serving the Tibetan people, he is confident that, if elected to this seat, he can carry out policies that bring about immediate and long-term benefits for the Tibetan community.
In his campaign video, Tsering expands on the mottos from his 2016 campaign and introduces three overarching guidelines that will constitute his policy making: equitable principles, forward-looking objectives and cooperative means. First, he promises that all his policies and decisions will have the essence of equitability, which he defines as “being fair, being just, being equal, and being unbiased.” Second, asserting that “there is no time to step back,” he explains that the objective of all of his policies will be to learn from the past and “move forward.” Third, he plans to carry out all his policies through a collective effort, stressing that “all resources within and [beyond] the Tibetan community have to be pulled in to make all projects successful.” In addition to these guidelines, Tsering also ensures that he will stand by the mottos of his last campaign: transparent, consistent and result-oriented policies, realistic and achievable goals, and a fair and impartial administration.
Tsering outlines his past experiences and how each of them has shaped his competency in taking on the Sikyong role. Pointing to the fact that he has visited almost all communities of exiled Tibetans around the world, he states that he has gained understanding of the “social, financial, and demographic structures of Tibetans in exile,” and therefore is able to implement policies which 
are “suited to the needs of each community.” He explains that these visits have also enabled him to become aware of the various mindset of Tibetans from different backgrounds and the root causes behind internal disagreements amongst Tibetans – with this awareness, he is conscious of the kind of policies that can avert divisive issues. Furthermore, Tsering explains that he has obtained comprehensive expertise of the pillars sustaining Tibetan democracy from his experiences in training local assembly representatives at the grassroot level, as well as the skill of empowering Tibetan youths through his experiences in organising youth leadership workshops as a former Director of the Tibetan Parliamentary and Research Centre (TPPRC) in Delhi. In addition to working with exiled Tibetans on the ground, Tsering brings up his extensive engagement with official representatives of the three Tibetan provinces when he was Speaker, and assures that he has the capacity to work with Tibetans that hold different beliefs and backgrounds within the administration.
Highlighting his past interactions with global political leaders and foreign officials during his time as Director of TPPRC, Tsering believes that he is equipped with the ability to disseminate realities within Tibet to the world and solicit global support for the freedom movement. On top of these direct interactions, Tsering also contends that his meticulous research on the situation inside Tibet, the policies of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and their consequences, and the evolving dynamics of global politics, will help the administration to “bring the right issues to be raised internationally […] and with China,” in order to resolve the Tibetan issue – which he upholds as the “topmost priority of the CTA.”
Alluding to divisions that resulted from the previous Sikyong election, as well as from his judicial challenges with the current administration last year, Penpa Tsering declares his commitment to “ensuring that the electoral process of the Tibetans in exile, this time, becomes one that will be held up as an example for the future generation of Tibetans to come.” In order to avoid creating divisions within the community, he promises to abstain from making any critical remarks regarding the other candidates, and urges voters to do the same by refraining from antagonising candidates that they do not support, and instead, to put their energy into “bringing out the best qualities of [their chosen] candidate.” Tsering also stresses the importance of voters making “informed decisions,” and encourages voters to seek comprehensive understanding of the candidates, in addition to their plans for the administration under their leadership. “Be informed, make your choice and celebrate democracy,” he states, wrapping up the campaign video.
*MWA refers to the policy proposed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and endorsed by the CTA, which seeks “genuine autonomy” for Tibet under PRC rule.
For more about the election click here
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