2026 Schedule

Sikyong Penpa Tsering is the democratically elected political leader of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, formally known as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), headquartered in Dharamshala in Northern India. On 27 May 2021, he was sworn in as the Sikyong, a Tibetan title for political leader, at an official ceremony graced by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who devolved all his political authority to the elected leadership in 2011. The election for Sikyong held in exiled Tibetan communities across 30 countries, including the U.S, saw the highest-ever voter turnout of 77.02 percent in the history of exile Tibetan democracy.

Born in a Tibetan refugee settlement in Southern India, Sikyong Penpa Tsering graduated from the prestigious Madras Christian College (MCC) in Chennai with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from 1985-1988. During his university years in the late 1980s, a new generation of Tibetans led a wave of demonstrations – the first to occur in Tibet since the Tibetan Uprising against the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959. This inspired him and many other young Tibetan refugees in India to actively join the Tibetan freedom movement. During this period, he founded a Tibetan Freedom Movement office which initiated a solidarity campaign highlighting the plight of Tibetans under Chinese rule. Additionally, the office facilitated connections between Tibetans residing in the Indian regions of Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry. Sikyong Penpa Tsering has remained committed to the Tibetan cause and actively engaged in Tibetan political movements since his college graduation.

In 1996, Sikyong Penpa Tsering was elected as a Member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile representing Tibet’s traditional Domey Province Constituency. As a parliamentarian, he focused on advancing the Middle Way Approach advocated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama for resolving the Sino-Tibetan conflict. He also lent his expertise in economics to the Parliament’s Budget Estimate Committee.

He secured re-election to the Tibetan Parliament in 2001 and concurrently led the Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Center in New Delhi, strengthening parliamentary support for the Tibetan cause in India and globally. Through his persistent efforts, the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet was successfully revitalized. In 2008, he was elected as Speaker of the 14th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, and he secured a fourth term as a parliamentarian in the 15th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile in 2011, again serving as Speaker by a majority vote.

Over two decades as a Tibetan parliamentarian, Penpa Tsering spearheaded various initiatives to promote Tibetan freedom. These ranged from fostering grassroots democratic principles among the Tibetan public to empowering youth through workshops and seminars. He served as a dedicated representative of the Tibetan people, actively working to enhance the Tibetan movement’s diplomatic relations and advocacy efforts at national and international levels.

Sikyong Penpa Tsering has been one of the longest-serving Members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, having served from 1996 to 2016 and the last two terms as Speaker of the House. Subsequently, he served as the Representative of the Dalai Lama and the CTA to North America. In this role, he engaged with US Congress leaders, top officials, and influential think tanks, bolstering American support for Tibet and driving forward new initiatives. He also played an active role in various forums and discussions on the Sino-Tibet conflict, including dialogues with overseas Chinese intellectuals and democracy activists based in North America.

On 2 September 2020, Mr Tsering formally announced his candidacy for the position of Sikyong, the political leader of the Tibetan people and democratic head of the Central Tibetan Administration.