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Speaker Karma Choephel's last day presiding over Parliament

By Lobsang Wangyal | Tibet Sun

Speaker Karma Choephel giving the closing remarks at the sixth session of the 14th Tibetan Parliament-in-exile. It was his last day presiding over the Parliament. Penpa Tsering will take charge as the Speaker to preside over the future sessions of the 14th Parliament until its five-year tenure ends in May 2011.Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal/India

The sixth session of the 14th Tibetan Parliament-in-exile started from 8th September. Ministers of Samdhong Rinpoche’s government presented the annual reports of the respective ministries for the accounting year 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008, while the members of the Parliament oversaw the presentations and questioned the ministers as to their different activities and performances in the past year.

The exile government has seven departments — Religion and Culture, Home, Education, Finance, Security, Information and International Relations, and Health.

During the session the Parliament decided upon holding an emergency meeting in November from 17 to 22 at the Tibetan Children’s Village School auditorium. The Dalai Lama asked the Parliament and the government to convene the meeting to discuss the future of Tibet and possible course of action, since his envoys and the Chinese government have made no headway in their talks to try to resolve the Tibetan issue.

The Speaker-to-be Penpa Tsering was elected to the Parliament as a representative from Amdo province, and the outgoing Speaker Karma Choephel from U-tsang province of Tibet. The two representatives had to share the post of Speaker after the parliament remained divided over the choice of candidate.

In May 2006 the Election Commission of the Tibetan government-in-exile had to conduct voting three times to elect the Speaker for the 14th parliament. The balloting remained split throughout, with Karma Choephel and Penpa Tsering receiving 21 votes each. The parliament then decided to let the contenders lead the house in two equal halves of the five-year term.

Copyright © 2008 Tibet Sun

Published in Tibet Sun