Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, May 31: The members of the 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE) were formally sworn into office on Sunday during a ceremony held at the Parliament Hall in Dharamshala, the seat of the Tibetan Government in Exile. The newly elected parliamentarians took their oath before Interim Speaker Dawa Tsering.
Prior to the swearing-in ceremony, Chief Justice Commissioner Yeshi Wangmo of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission (TSJC), the apex judicial body of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), administered the oath of office to Interim Speaker Dawa Tsering who is one of the senior most lawmaker in the house.
Following the oath-taking ceremony, members of the 18th TPiE elected Dolma Tsering Teykhang as Speaker and Khenpo Sonam Tenphel as Deputy Speaker through separate secret-ballot votes conducted in the afternoon session.
Dolma Tsering Teykhang secured 22 votes, defeating Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, who received 20 votes. Three ballots were declared invalid. With her election, Teykhang makes history as the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.
In the election for Deputy Speaker, Khenpo Sonam Tenphel received 22 votes, defeating Karma Gelek, who secured 20 votes. Three ballots were again declared invalid.
The 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile comprises 45 members, including 17 newly elected parliamentarians and 28 incumbent members, with first-time representatives accounting for nearly 38% of the house. Women remain underrepresented, with only nine female MPs elected in the 2026 parliamentary election.
The parliament consists of ten representatives each from Tibet’s three traditional provinces—U-Tsang, Dhotoe, and Domey; two representatives each from the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and the pre-Buddhist Bon tradition; two representatives each from North America and Europe; and one representative from Australasia and Asia excluding India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Among the newly elected representatives from the U-Tsang constituency are Lhamo Tsering Kongtsa, Lhakpa Tsering, and Gonpo Lhundup. The Dhotoe constituency elected Gyaltsen Choekyi, Dawa Tsering, Ngawang Lodoe, Kunchok Rinchen, and Sangay Dorjee, while the Domey constituency elected Tenzin Palmo, Lharong, Lhamo Kyab, and Ugyen Kyab as new members.
Among the religious constituencies, the Bon tradition elected Tsewang Tashi as its new representative. In the regional constituencies, North America elected Godruk Kalsang Phuntsok and Tseten Phuntsok as new members of parliament, while Europe elected Tenzin Yangkar. Kalsang Tsering was newly elected to represent the Australasia and Asia constituency, excluding India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
The election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker marks the formal commencement of the 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, which will serve as the legislative body of the Central Tibetan Administration for the next five-year term.
