KashagThe Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies in Dharamsala on September 30, 2006 approved four out of five names submitted by the re-elected Chairman of the Tibetan Cabinet, Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche. These four will be members of the new Cabinet.

The four new kalons are Thupten Lungrig, Tsering Phuntsok, Kesang Y. Takla, and Tempa Tsering. Lobsang N. Zayul, the fifth name, failed to secure 50 per cent of the votes needed to be confirmed.

As per the Tibetan Charter in exile, while the Chairman of the Cabinet is directly elected by the Tibetan people, he forwards a list of members of his Cabinet to the Parliament, which has the authority to approve them.

Prior to the promulgation of the Charter in 1991, the Dalai Lama directly appointed the members of the Cabinet. When the Charter was initially implemented, it was the members of Parliament who elected the members of the Cabinet, including the Chairman of the Cabinet. In 2001, at the expressed desire of the Dalai Lama, the Charter was amended to enable the election of the Chairman of the Cabinet directly by the people.

Altogether, there were 40 members of Parliament who voted.

Following are bios of the four news kalons, as released by the Central Tibetan Administration.

Kesang Yangkyi Takla

  • Birth: 15 September 1944
  • Present address: The Office of Tibet, London
  • Present profession: Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Northern Europe.
  • Brief history: In 1969, while completing her college degree, she worked at the Tibetan school (creche) in Simla. Later, as a Tibetan civil servant, she has served in various capacities, including deputy secretary of the Library of the Tibetan Works and Archives; director of the Delek Hospital; representative His Holiness the Dalai Lama at London and later, Taiwan; and secretary of the Department of Health and the Department of Information and International Relations. Since 2 January 2002, after requesting an early retirement from civil service, she has continued to serve as the representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Northern Europe.

Thubten Lungrig

  • Birth: 19 May 1957
  • Present address: The (Upper) Tibetan Children’s Village School, Dharamshala
  • Present profession: Kasur
  • Brief history: After obtaining his college degree in 1981, he served as a teacher at the (Upper) Tibetan Children’s Village School, Dharamshala, and later, was promoted to the principal of the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Suja. In 1996 he was one of the members appointed to the Assembly of the Tibetan People’s Deputies by His Holiness. The Assembly in turn elected him as its vice-chairperson. In 2001, he was elected to the Assembly, from the constituency of Amdo province. The Assembly in turn elected him as its chairperson. Later, as a member of the 12th Kashag, he has held the portfolios of the Kalon for education, religion and culture, and health.

Kasur Tempa Tsering

  • Birth: 1950
  • Present Status: Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, New Delhi
  • Brief history: In 1974, after completing his college degree, he was appointed office secretary at the Department of Information and International Relations. In the years of his service as a Tibetan civil servant, he has been assistant secretary of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, assistant secretary of the Home Department, and secretary of the Department of Information and International Relations. He later became a member of the 11th Kashag. As of now, he is the representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi.

Ven. Tsering Phuntsok

  • Birth: 1948
  • Present address: Assembly of the Tibetan People’s Deputies, Dharamshala
  • Present profession: Member of the incumbent, 14th Assembly Brief history: After completing his college degree, he has served in many social welfare projects. From the constituency of Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, he has been elected a member of the 11th, 12th, 13th and the incumbent, 14th Assembly of the Tibetan People’s Deputies.