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Penpa Tsering sworn-in as new Speaker

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Penpa Tsering taking oath of office as the new speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile before the Dalai Lama at his residence in Dharamshala, India, on 16 December 2008.Tibet.net/India

Penpa Tsering was sworn-in as the new Speaker to the 14th Tibetan parliament-in-exile by the Dalai Lama today, according to the website of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Tsering, a member of Tibetan parliament representing Amdo province, took oath of office before the Dalai Lama as the new Speaker. He will serve the post for the remaining two and a half years of the five-year tenure of the parliament, until May 2011.

Out-going Speaker Karma Chophel’s two-and-a-half-year term ended on 30 November 2008.

The 43 members of the 14th parliament remained divided over the choice of the Speaker between Karma Chophel and Penpa Tsering, after the house was sworn-in in May 2006.

On the suggestion of the Election Commission, the house decided to have both the contenders run the five-year term of the parliament.

The parliament has 46 members when it is in full strength. Ten members each are elected from the three provinces of Tibet — Amdo, Kham and U-tsang. Two members each are elected from the four sects of Tibetan Buddhism and two are elected from the Bon religion. The Dalai Lama nominates three members.

Up until the 11th parliament, the deputies were elected by an electoral college and a few nominated by the Dalai Lama. The number of members was also increased from 17 to 46.

The eleventh parliament adopted a “Charter for the Tibetans in exile:http://www.tibet.com/Govt/charter.html on 14 June 1991.

Penpa Tsering previously served as the Director of the Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre , based in Delhi.

The chief justice commissioner, justice commissioners, deputy speaker of the Tibetan parliament and members of the Kashag (cabinet) attended the swearing-in ceremony.

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