(TibetanReview.net, Jun01, 2016) – The speakership of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile is to be shared half-term each between U-Tsang MP Mr Pema Jungney and Nyingma MP Khenpo Sonam Tenphel after three rounds of voting failed to break the tie between them on May 30. Khenpo Sonam Tenphel will chair the 16th exile Tibetan parliament meetings for the first two and half years.
The two candidates had won 21 votes each in the first round of voting, with Acharya Yeshi
Phuntsok, an U-Tsang MP, getting two votes. Two more rounds of voting saw the two shortlisted top candidates keeping on getting 22 votes each.
The parliament members therefore decided to discuss the issue and arrived at the decision to share the speakership half-term each between the two candidates after some seven hours of discussions. Both took their oath of office on May 31 morning from the Chief Justice commissioner of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission.
The 16th exile Tibetan parliament has a strength of 45. However, Domey MP Mrs Tsering Youdon was absent from its very first session.
Earlier, in 2006, the speakership was shared between Mr Penpa Tsering and the late Mr Karma Choephel in a similar situation.
Meanwhile, Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, an, U-Tsang MP, was elected the Deputy Speaker with 38 votes.