Two more replacement members installed ahead of additional Tibetan parliament session

(TibetanReview.net, May04’21) – Two more members have taken oath of office on May 3 as members of the outgoing 16^th Tibetan Parliament in Exile whose five-year term ends later this month. Their installations have been necessitated by the resignation of existing members. They were the candidates with the highest number of votes for the Dotoe and Domey seats after their ten winning candidates in the 2016 election.

Ms Tsering Dolma took the Dotoe seat and Ms Sonam Wangmo took the Domey seat after being administered their oath of office by Deputy Speaker Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok. They replaced Mr Lobsang Dhakpa and Mr Gyarig Thar respectively.

Mr Lobsang Dhakpa resigned to take his post as Chinese liaison Office at the Office of Tibet Canberra. The appointment is seen as a reward for representing the Kashag (cabinet) headed by Sikyong Lobsang Sangay in a defamation suit filed against it before the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission (TSJC) by the ousted representative at the Office of Tibet, Washington, DC, by Mr Penpa Tsering.

Mr Lobsang Dhakpa was later penalized by the TSJC for questioning its credibility and failing to vindicate himself when asked to do so after he lost the case.

The new appointments take place ahead of an expected holding of an additional session of the 16^th TPiE on May 20 in a move to appoint a new panel of three justice commissioners, including a chief justice commissioner, to the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission (TSJC).

The TPiE unconstitutionally, and for no good reason, sacked the entire panel of justice commissioners of the TSJC in its last regular session held in March, throwing the entire CTA framework into a turmoil.

It remains to be seen how the new justice commissioners will assume office in the absence of a chief justice commissioner, the authority designated by the charter to administer to them their oath of office.

A chief justice commissioner would also be required to administer the oath of office later this month to the newly elected Sikyong of the CTA and the members of the incoming, 17^th TPiE for which elections have already been held.

Outgoing Sikyong Lobsang Sangay has explained that the Charter requires him to remain in office if the new Sikyong cannot be administered his oath of office, a matter only of technicality.