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Over time, the structure of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has adapted to fit the democratic vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Here is a basic overview of each governmental institution as it exists today:

Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE)

• 44-member parliament that is the highest legislative branch of the CTA. They represent all of Historic Tibet and are responsible for the Tibetan exile community.
• Any Tibetan who is 25 years of age or older can be elected to the TPiE, with public elections being held every 5 years. Any Tibetan who is 18 years of age or older can vote.
• Members include:
  • 10 representatives from each of the three traditional provinces of Tibet (U-Tsang, Do-toe, and Do-mey)
  • 2 members from each of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism (Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyue and Gelug)
  • 2 members from the traditional Bon
  • 4 members from the west (two from Europe, two from North America, )
• TPiE is headed by a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker who are elected by the members themselves.
• Responsibilities of the TPiE include:
  • Co-operating with governments, parliaments, NGOs and individuals worldwide to promote the Tibetan cause
  • Electing Kashag (Cabinet) members, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker
  • Evaluating the Kashag’s decisions in light of governmental policies and programmes
  • Enacting laws, creating rules, regulations, and policy decisions
  • Overseeing the functioning of Tibetan Assemblies in all major Tibetan settlements
  • Hearing public grievances of Tibetans-in-exile

 Kashag

• The Cabinet, the highest executive branch of the CTA. Made up of a maximum of seven ministers (Kalons), each responsible for a different department within the government.
  • Religion and Culture – Supervises efforts to revive, preserve and promote Tibetan religious and cultural traditions.
  • Home – Responsible for all rehabilitation plans for Tibetans-in-exile. Helps find employment opportunities and promotes self-reliance among the Tibetan people.
  • Education – Oversees educational needs of Tibetans-in-exile, establishes and supervises separate schools for Tibetan refugee children.
  • Finance – Raises money for the CTA and controls the government’s annual budget.
  • Security – Responsible for the security of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, conducts research to monitor security issues in Tibet and China.
  • Information and International Relations – Helps raise awareness about Tibetan political, human rights, and environmental issues within the international community and among the Tibetan people.
  • Health – Manages and finances health care centres for Tibetan refugees.
• The Sikyong nominates Kalon candidates who then must be elected by the Parliament. Kalons serve five-year terms.
• The Kashag is led by the Sikyong, the Chief of the Cabinet, who is democratically elected by the Tibetan people for a five-year term.
• The Kashag Secretriat provides the Cabinet with secretarial and administrative services and is headed by a Secretary. The Secretary prepares and records the Parliament’s proceedings, which are then published in a News Bulletin that is distributed to Settlement Officers, the Tibetan press, NGOs, and others. Sub-offices of the Kashag Secretariat include:
  • Planning Commission – Helps implement departmental plans according to the needs of Tibetan communities
  • History Documentation and Interim Placement Selection – Compiles documents on the Tibetan struggle.
  • Tibet Policy Institute – Home to Tibetan scholars and researchers, helps the Kashag identify Tibetan issues and recommends solutions.

Independent Commissions

• Election Commission – supervises the election process, see article below
• Public Service Commission – oversees recruitment, training and appointments of civil servants who work for the administration
• Audit Commission – audits accounts of all government departments and public Tibetan institutions.

 Parliament sessions

• Held twice each year, in March and September. Sessions last 10-15 days.
• The schedule of Parliament sessions are as follows:
  • Question Hour
  • Calling attention motion
  • Statements of the Kalons or individual Parliament members
  • Passing of legislation
  • Voting of Grant-in-Aid and control of public finances
  • Processing miscellaneous budget matters
  • Debating on motions or statements
• Members divide into Committees based on their area of specialisation. A major part of the work done by the Parliament is completed by the following Committees:
  • Standing Committee
  • Business Advisory Committee
  • Committee on Education
  • Committee on Health Care
  • Committee on Human Rights and Environment
  • Committee on Public Accounts
  • Committee on Religious and Cultural Activities
  • Committee on Social Welfare and Settlement
  • Select Committee on Bills

Reaching the Tibetan Settlements – The Role of the Standing Committee

When Parliament is not in session, an 11-member Standing Committee fulfills the responsibilities of the TPiE. This group contains two members from each of the traditional provinces of Tibet, and one member of each religious denomination represented in the Parliament.

One of the main tasks of the Standing Committee is to make visits to Tibetan settlements outside of Dharamshala and bring back news of grievances or matters that need attention in those areas. Of the approximately 130 Tibetan settlements around the world, there are currently 38 major Tibetan colonies who have created Local Parliaments that are recognised by the CTA. The CTA’s Charter allows for communities of 160 people or more to establish their own Local Parliament to interact with the Standing Committee, serving as a bridge between the settlement and the Central Tibetan Administration.

Even the smaller communities who lack the structure of a fully-fledged parliament have a Settlement Officer appointed by the CTA to make their voices heard. The Central Tibetan Administration is encouraging the citizens of the settlements to elect their own administrators, and has been hoping to implement more democratic procedures in these smaller versions of the TPiE.

Co-ordinating an Election Around the World – The Role of the Election Commission

The preliminary elections of the Sikyong and members of the TPiE take place in October of each election year. Tibetans all over the world each cast their vote on the same date, which means that the CTA has to co-ordinate an election spanning multiple continents and time zones. In order for the voting process to run as smoothly as possible, the parliament adjusts its staffing to ensure that the votes are collected and tallied in an efficient manner.

The Central Election Commission, headquartered in Dharamsala, is in charge of supervising the voting process and setting the rules and guidelines for each election. The Commission works closely with Regional Election Offices around the world to help facilitate the voting process. These groups work together on many occasions – to carry out the general election every five years, to monitor elections of Local Parliaments in various Tibetan settlements, and to conduct referendums on issues that require the input of Tibetan people worldwide.

The Central Election Commission is a permanent office headed by the Chief Election Commissioner. All Chief Election Commissioners are nominated by a committee made up of the Supreme Justice Commissioner, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the TPiE, and the Sikyong. From the list of nominees, the Parliament then votes someone into power. When the Tibetans head to the polls every five years, there are two additional Election Commissioners appointed to the Commission to assist the CEC, and these positions are also filled by the same process.  These two Election Commissioners only hold this position from the time of the official announcement of the election until the final results have been declared.