Tibetan parliament-in-exile members take oath

"All 42 newly-elected members of the 15th parliament-in-exile were administered oath by interim speaker Pema Jungney," spokesman Tenzin Norbu told IANS.

Prior to the swearing-in ceremony of the members, Jungney took oath from the chief justice commissioner of the Central Tibetan Administration.

The voting to elect 44 members of the parliament-in-exile was held across the globe March 20. The results were declared April 27.

However, two members of parliament from U-Tsang province (Central Tibet) could not get themselves elected as they failed to secure the mandatory 33 percent of the total votes cast.

These two seats will be filled with fresh election.
More than 83,000 Tibetans in India, which has 56 Tibetan settlements, took part in the elections.

Some of the other countries where the election took place included Japan, Russia and Australia.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since 1959 when he fled his homeland after a failed uprising against Communist rule. His government-in-exile is based here but is not recognised by any country.

Some 140,000 Tibetans live in exile around the world, over 100,000 of them in India.