(TibetanReview.net, Nov20’25) – Former Representative of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) for North America Mr Kelsang Aukatsang (Kaydor) has announced Nov 19 that he is standing for election as Sikyong, the executive head of the CTA, in the 2026 elections. He is so far the only person to announce his candidature against the incumbent Sikyong Mr Penpa Tsering.
The preliminary round of the CTA elections for Sikyong and the 45-member Parliament-in-Exile are scheduled to take place on Feb 1. The purpose of this round is allow voters to propose candidates for the final polls which will take place on Apr 26. Hence announcing candidature, though helpful to the voters, is not necessary,
The preliminary poll takes place without any official lists of candidates, which means all eligible Tibetans are potential candidates for the two elections, To many voters this is bewildering.
Incumbent Sikyong Penpa Tsering has said that in keeping with the spirit of the Tibetan election system, he will not announce his candidature or campaign for election, but remained ready to continue to serve if elected.
In the 2021 election, Kaydor won 28,907 votes against Penpa Tsering’s 34,324 – a difference of 5,417 votes – with a voter turnout of 63,991, or about 77.02% of the number of registered voters.
Before 2021, Kaydor also served as Special Advisor to the then Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, as the CTA’s Chief Resilience Officer, and as the Director of its Social and Resource Development Fund (SARD).
Kaydor said he announced his candidature because no one else had, especially any among women. “Our democracy deserves meaningful choice, and our community deserves a clear path forward,” he said.
Kaydor did not say whether he supported the Middle Way policy of the current administration of seeking autonomy under China’s sovereignty for Tibet, or independence advocated by its vocal critics.
Rather, he said: “Our community stands at a pivotal moment. China has closed all channels of dialogue and intensified its repressive policies inside Tibet, while our exile institutions face demographic pressures, reduced resources, and growing polarization. These challenges demand steady leadership, renewed unity, and a clear strategic direction.”
He vowed to refocus the CTA on its core mission: advancing the Tibet cause through stronger global engagement, more investment of resources and what he called a “Look North” strategy.