Sikyong

Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration
Emblem of Tibet
Incumbent Lobsang Sangay since 8 August 2011
Residence	Kashag Dharamsala, India
Appointer	14th Dalai Lama as Head of State
Term length	5 years
Inaugural holder	Jangsa Tsang
Formation	31 March 1959
Website	http://www.tibet.net

The Sikyong (Tibetan: སྲིད་སྐྱོང༌, Wylie: srid-skyong, Lhasa dialect IPA: [sícóŋ] , Chinese: 司政) is the leader of the Central Tibetan Administration, a Tibetan exile organisation also known as the Tibetan government-in-exile. Prior to September, 2012, this office was known as Kalön Tripa, sometimes translated as prime minister. The current Sikyong is Lobsang Sangay. The Sikyong is the head of the Kashag or Cabinet, part of the executive branch of the Central Tibetan Administration. This office should not be confused with the Chairman of the government of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The first directly elected Kalön Tripa was Lobsang Tenzin, the Samdhong Rinpoche, who was elected August 20, 2001.^[2]

Before 2011, the Kalön Tripa position was subordinate to the 14th Dalai Lama^[3] who presided over the government in exile from its founding.^[4] In August of that year, Lobsang Sangay polled 55 per cent votes out of 49,189, defeating his nearest rival Tethong Tenzin Namgyal by 8,646 votes,^{[citation needed]} becoming the second popularly-elected Kalon Tripa. The Dalai Lama announced that his political authority would be transferred to Sangay.^[5]

Change to Sikyong

On September 20, 2012, the 15th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile unanimously voted to change the title of Kalön Tripa to Sikyong in Article 19 of the Charter of the Tibetans in exile and relevant articles.^[6] The Dalai Lama had previously referred to the Kalon Tripa as Sikyong, and this usage was cited as the primary justification for the name change. According to Tibetan Review, "Sikyong" translates to "political leader", as distinct from "spiritual leader".^[7] Foreign affairs Kalon Dicki Chhoyang claimed that the term "Sikyong" has had a precedent dating back to the 7th Dalai Lama, and that the name change "ensures historical continuity and legitimacy of the traditional leadership from the fifth Dalai Lama".^[8] The online Dharma Dictionary translates sikyong (srid skyong) as "secular ruler; regime, regent". The title sikyong had previously been used by regents who ruled Tibet during the Dalai Lama's minority. It is also used in Tibetan to refer to the governors of the states of the United States.

List of Prime Ministers of the Tibetan government in exile

#	Name	Picture	Took Office	Left Office	Monarch
1	Jangsa Tsangy		1959	1960	14th Dalai Lama
2	Surkhang Wangchen Gelek		1960	1964	14th Dalai Lama
3	Shenkha Gurmey Topgyal		1965	1970	14th Dalai Lama
4	Garang Lobsang Rigzin		1970	1975	14th Dalai Lama
5	Kunling Woeser Gyaltsen		1975	1980	14th Dalai Lama
6	Wangdue Dorjee		1980	1985	14th Dalai Lama
7	Juchen Thupten Namgyal		1985	1990	14th Dalai Lama
8	Kalsang Yeshi		1990	1991	14th Dalai Lama
9	Gyalo Dhondup		1991	1993	14th Dalai Lama
10	Tenzin Tethong		1993	1996	14th Dalai Lama
11	Sonam Topgyal		1996	2001	14th Dalai Lama
12	Lobsang Tenzin		2001	2011	14th Dalai Lama
13	Lobsang Sangay		2011	present	14th Dalai Lama

References

Speech/transcription

• Key note address by Dr. Lobsang Sangay, Kalon Tripa, Tibetan Government in Exile on 06 September 2011 at the VIF Seminar on Tibet

External links

• Kalon Tripa election in 2011
• Kalön Tripa 2011 election results