(TibetanReview.net, Sep20’24) – The 8th session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) witnessed dramatic developments both in and outside the house but concluded on a happy note for most of the members on Sep 19 with the adoption of two amendments to the Charter of Tibetans in Exile to provide for the appointment of the justice commissioners of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission (TSJC).
The TPiE also discussed the reports of the various departments of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), which is its main agenda at the September sessions. However, once again, a proposed amendment of the Charter to provide two seats in the TPiE to the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism, like for the other religious schools, was rejected. It received the support of only 21 members as against the required minimum of 30.
The amendment of the Charter to provide for the appointment of the justice commissioners was made possible by another Charter amendment which reduced the term of the “other two justice commissioners” of the TSJC to “five years” from the existing “until 65 years of age”. It enabled a good many of those who opposed the Charter amendment to provide for the appointment of the justice commissioners until the currently serving justice commissioner stepped down to support that amendment.
It initially seemed unlikely that the amendment to provide for the appointment of the justice commissioners would succeed, despite the fact that many hundreds of Tibetans had gathered to call for the revival of the TSJC, given the known, persistent obduracy of those baying for the removal of the existing lone justice commissioner of the TSJC – the chief justice commissioner and the other justice commissioner having retired years ago.
And then the session was thrown out of gear when a quorum-busting Dotoe and religious seat TPiE members refused to return to the session in the afternoon of Sep 14, saying they felt physically threatened by the many “People’s Movement for Securing the Central Tibetan Administration” protesters who appeared before the parliament building. The “general public” protesters’ contention was that the TPiE was entirely ignoring their call and so felt constrained to bring their protest closer to the TPiE building.
Assured of their security by the CTA’s Department of Security, as demanded, the absentee TPiE members returned to the session on Sep 16.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to break the logjam on the amendment of the Charter to provide for the appointment of the justice commissioners, the five overseas TPiE members proposed behind the scene another Charter amendment by which the term of the “two other justice commissioners” of the TSJC would be limited to five years, which would effectively superannuate the only serving justice commissioner of the TSJC, since this would end his term this month.
This found broad acceptance in the TPiE, and paved the way for the passage of the amendment to provide for the appointment of the justice commissioners of the TSJC. It received 35 votes, as against the required minimum of 30.
The TPiE also voted to appoint former TPiE member Mr Lobsang Yeshi as the Chief Election Commissioner of the CTA and Upper TCV school director Mr Tsultrim Dorje as a member of the CTA’s Public Service Commission. The standing Committee of the TPiE had earlier voted to appoint former TPiE member and CTA Kalon (minister) Mr Karma Yeshe as the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, and the General Manager of TCV Enterprises Limited and former CTA auditor Mr Lhakpa Gyaltsen as the Auditor General of the CTA.
The TPiE also adopted resolutions to express gratitude to former Australian Senator Janet Rice for her constant support for Tibet in the Australian parliament, and the US Congress and President Joe Biden for their recent adoption of the Resolve Tibet Act.
There was also a resolution, as before, expressing solidarity with the Tibetans in Tibet and serious concern on the critical situation there, condemning the Chinese occupation rule and Beijng’s false propaganda on the issue of Tibet.
Visibly disappointed members of the International Jonang Wellbeing Association expressed displeasure at again being denied TPiE seats for their religious school despite 27 years of campaigning for it. Speaking at a press conference, the association’s President, Ven Jinpa Sangpo Lama, expressed hopes for a positive outcome next year.