Lawmakers from India, UK, Chile and El Salvador attend swearing-in of Penpa Tsering as president of Tibetan govt-in-exile

New Delhi: Lawmakers from India, the United Kingdom, Chile and El Salvador attended the swearing-in ceremony of Penpa Tsering for a second term as president of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the Tibetan government-in-exile.

The event took place on Wednesday at the Tsuglagkhang courtyard in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, in the presence of the 14th Dalai Lama. Traditional rituals, including the offering of ceremonial khata scarves and the handover of the ancient seal of authority, also took place. Thousands watched the ceremony online.

A cross-party delegation from the UK parliament included Chris Law of the Scottish National Party and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Tibet; Kerry McCarthy of the Labour Party and former government minister; Wera Hobhouse of the Liberal Democrats and APPG Tibet member; and Alicia Kearns of the Conservative Party, former chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

From Latin America, Chile’s Deputy Luis Fabian Mala and El Salvador’s Deputy Jose Francisc participated. From India, Lok Sabha MP Tapir Gao, co-convenor of the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet; Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar; and Atya Nanda, Joint Secretary of the National Commission for Minorities were present.

The US Embassy in New Delhi sent officials, including Brand Kroeger, Senior Adviser to the US Ambassador Sergio Gor. The embassy had earlier invited Penpa Tsering to the United States’ 250th Independence Day celebrations, where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed guests.

Penpa Tsering, Sikyong (president) of the 17th Kashag, was re-elected after securing over 61% of votes in the preliminary round of the Tibetan (in exile) general election. Under election rules, he did not need to contest the final round. He becomes the sixth directly elected leader of the administration-in-exile, formerly known as Kalon Tripa.

In his address, Penpa Tsering thanked supporters, saying, “I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the governments and people of India, the United States, and all our supporters. Your support remains key to the effective continuation of our struggle for truth and justice.”

China has strongly opposed the ceremony. Beijing does not recognise the CTA and views the Dalai Lama and exile structures as separatists. Chinese Embassy spokesperson Yu Jing in Delhi earlier stated that the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation is an internal Chinese matter. She urged India to honour its commitments on Tibet and avoid providing platforms for “Tibetan independence” activities.