Sangay will succeed 72-year-old Samdhong Rinpoche, who will complete his second five-year-term in the office of Kalon Tripa on August 15 next. But, more importantly, the young leader is taking over as Kalon Tripa, when the top office in the exiled government is set to become more important with Dalai Lama, now 76, being keen to devolve all his political authority to it.
He secured 55 per cent votes to beat his two rivals – Tenzin Namgyal Tethong and Tashi Wangdi – in a worldwide election, which saw the exiled Tibetans spread over 30 countries exercising their franchises in two rounds of polls on October 3 and March 20 last. Though the process of changing the constitutional structure of the exile government is on, Sangay, as the new Kalon Tripa, is being seen as the likely political heir of Dalai Lama. “The Tibetan movement and community are in the middle of some momentous changes. Along with the generational shift in political leadership, we also have to deal with Dalai Lama’s decision to devolve all political authority to elected representatives of the Tibetans. Dalai Lama is irreplaceable. He is and will always remain my leader,” Sangay said from Harvard, after the Election Commission of the TGIE announced the poll-results on Wednesday. “I take great comfort from the fact that this transition is happening with His Holiness still around as our revered leader and available to guide and watch over,” he added. Sangay is a second generation refugee from Tibet. He was born in a Tibetan settlement in Darjeeling in West Bengal in 1968.
He did his graduation in law from Delhi University and went to Harvard Law School to do masters and doctorate.
“I urge every Tibetans 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 ,” said Sangay, a Fulbright scholar and now a senior fellow at Harvard Law School.
The latest round of elections turned more significant after Dalai Lama made public his plan to retire from the political leadership of the community and pass the baton to the democratically elected government.
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