First woman to head the Tibetan parliament
The members of the 18th Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) were officially sworn in on May 31 during a ceremony in the parliament hall in Dharamshala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile. The newly elected parliamentarians took their oath before Interim Chairman Dawa Tsering.
After the swearing-in ceremony, the members of the 18th TPiE elected Dolma Tsering Teykhang as Speaker and Khenpo Sonam Tenphel as Deputy Speaker by means of separate secret ballots that took place 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 become chairperson of the Tibetan parliament in exile.
As Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Dolma Tsering Teykhang is responsible for leading parliamentary assemblies, maintaining order during debates, and ensuring fair and democratic decision-making. Additionally, she represents the Parliament at official occasions and plays a key role in the cooperation between the Parliament, the Kashag (government), and the Tibetan community in exile. As the highest parliamentary official, she ensures that the Parliament effectively carries out its legislative and supervisory duties.
The election of the chairman and vice-chairman marks the formal start of the 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, which will serve as the legislative body of the Central Tibetan Administration for the next five years.
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