(TibetanReview.net, Mar19’22) – The second session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE), which began on Mar 14, concluded yesterday with the main agenda being to discuss the reports of the various departments of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
The parliament was also informed by the Speaker that the committee constituted to propose candidates for a new Chief Justice Commissioner of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission (TSJC) had come up blank. The committee could not find any candidate who fulfilled the rather outlandish qualifications prescribed by the Charter of Tibetans in Exile.
The application of the Charter-prescribed qualifications had been suspended for a period of 30 years since the coming into force of the present Charter in 1991 and that period had come to an end. The TPiE is now expected to amend the Charter to prescribe realistic qualifications for candidates for appointment as justice commissioners of the TSJC.
The appointment of a new Chief Justice Commissioner has been necessitated by the retirement of the incumbent Mr Sonam Norbu Dagpo.
The 17th TPiE is to hold its 3rd session from Mar 21 to 31 with the main agenda to discuss and adopt the annual budget of the CTA. Apart from a new Chief Justice Commissioner, this session will also need to confirm up to four more Kalons (Ministers) of the CTA.
The confirmation of the Kalons could not be completed during the first session of the TPiE as a quorum-busting section of its members staged a walkout over the nomination of a candidate it did not like. That session confirmed three candidates and rejected two others before the walkout.