Kashag Congratulates Kalon Tripa-Elect Dr Lobsang Sangay[Thursday, 28 April 2011, 4:00 p.m.]

Kalon Tripa Prof Samdhong Rinpoche

Kalon
Tripa Prof Samdhong Rinpoche and his cabinet colleagues have
congratulated Dr Lobsang Sangay on being elected as the next Kalon
Tripa of the Central Tibetan Administration.DHARAMSHALA: In
a congratulatory message, Kalon Tripa Prof Samdhong Rinpoche said: “I
and my fellow members of the Kashag would like to extend our
congratulations to Dr Lobsang Sangay for winning the election with an
overwhelming majority.”“As the present change in leadership
coincides with a significant transition in the exile polity, we place
great hope and feel at ease to have a young, educated, honest and
determined new Kalon Tripa,” Kalon Tripa said.“We wish him success in all future endeavours and at the same time extend our felicitations,” he added.Dr
Lobsang Sangay, a senior fellow of Harvard University, won 27,051 votes
(55 percent) in the final round of polling held on 20 March. Out of
83,990 registered voters, 49,184 cast their ballots.

Kalon Tripa-elect Dr Lobsang Sangay during a visit to the office of International Campaign for Tibet in Washington, US, on 27 April 2011/Reuters

Dr
Sangay will take charge as the new Kalon Tripa after the incumbent
Kalon Tripa Prof Samdhong Rinpoche’s five-year tenure ends on 14 August
2011.In 2001 the Tibetan parliament, on the advice of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama, amended the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile
to provide for direct election of the Kalon Tripa (Chairman of the
Cabinet) by the exile populace. The Kalon Tripa, in turn, nominates the
other Kalons (cabinet members), and seeks the parliament’s approval for
their appointment. “I
view my election as an affirmation of the far-sighted policies of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama and another important step towards the
realization of his vision of a truly democratic Tibetan society. I
believe the success of the recent Kalon Tripa and Chitue elections and
the active participation of the Tibetans in the elections is a
significant moral victory,” Dr Sangay said after winning the election.“I
want to express my sincere appreciation and extend my deepest support
to the people in Tibet who continue to show tremendous courage even in
the most difficult of situations. Our hearts and minds are steadfastly
with them,” he said. “I
urge every Tibetan and friends of Tibet to join me in our common cause
to alleviate the suffering of Tibetans in occupied Tibet and to return
His Holiness to his rightful place in the Potala Palace,” he added.Also read:Tibetans Elect Dr Lobsang Sangay as Kalon TripaElection Commission Announces Final Results of Elections