Dharamshala — Lobsang Yeshi was sworn in as a Commissioner of the Tibetan Election Commission and Tsultrim Dorjee was sworn in as a member of the Public Service Commission on Monday, in accordance with the Charter of Tibetans in Exile.
In accordance with the Charter of Tibetan in exile, Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, Speaker of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE) administered the oath of offices to Lobsang Yeshi, former parliamentarian, as the Commissioner of the Tibetan Election Commission and Tsultrim Dorjee, Director of Tibetan Children Village, as a member of the Public Service Commission on October 7, 2024, at TPiE hall, Gangkyi, Dharamshala, HP, India.
The swearing-in ceremony was conducted in the presence of Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, officiating Sikyong Kalon (Minister) Tharlam Dolma Changra, Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang, and standing committee members of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.
Lobsang Yeshi and Tsultrim Dorjee were elected by a two-thirds majority at the 8th session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. The ceremony began with the offering of traditional Tibetan scarves to the portrait of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, followed by the swearing-in and presentation of ceremonial Tibetan scarves to the new Election Commissioner and the new member of the Public Service Commission by the Speaker and the Minister, as well as by the members of the Standing Committee.
Lobsang Yeshi is an alumnus of SFF Tibetan School in Herbertpur. He earned his B.A./B.Ed. degree from Punjab University in Chandigarh in 1992. During his college years, he served as General Secretary of the Regional Tibetan Freedom Movement, President of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, and Vice President of the Foreign Students’ Association at Punjab University in Chandigarh. After graduation, he taught at CST Paonta Sahib School for two years. He then worked as a researcher and translator at the Tibetan Affairs Monitor and Research Unit in Delhi for six years. Subsequently, he taught at Sera Jey Secondary School in Bylakuppe for seven years while also serving as Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) and later as its Vice President.
From 2007 to 2013, he was involved with CHOICE HIV/AIDS Initiatives as a board member, coordinator, and HIV trainer. He is also an independent researcher, producing papers and articles on Sino-Indo-Tibetan affairs. Yeshi was elected to the 15th and 16th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, serving two consecutive terms from 2011 to 2021. During his tenure, he was a member of the Standing Committee and the Public Accounts Committee, actively participating in two World Parliamentarians Conventions and the Tibetan Special General Meeting, among others. Additionally, he served as the Tibetan Settlement Officer for Lugsam Tibetan Settlement in Bylakuppe for one year.
Tsultrim Dorjee was born in a small village in Tibet and came into exile in India in 1980, seeking better educational opportunities and the blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He completed his schooling at Upper TCV in 1992 and earned a B.Com from St. Xavier’s College in 1994. After obtaining his B.Ed., he worked as a high school social studies teacher from 1996 to 2005, then served as headmaster from 2006 to 2012. In 2012, he became the director of TCV Gopalpur and has worked there for five years. From 2017, he has been serving as the director of Upper TCV.