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The pendulum of hope and fear -- KT 2011

By Tashi Wangyal | Tibet Sun

Tashi Wangyal Photographer unknown

As I saw my friend wearing a wry smile but with his fist pounding on the table, I drew closer to understand what was really going on. A group of friends, during a local community gathering, wound up riding the topic of the Kalon Tripa election 2011, exchanging heated discussion on the significance of finding a tenacious and charismatic successor to the current profound leader Ven Samdhong Rinpoche. So I joined the discussion and put in my two cents.

The Kalon Tripa is the chief of all the cabinet ministers in the Exile Tibetan Administration. Under article 20 of the Charter of Tibetans-in-exile, the chief Kalon is primarily responsible for exercising executive powers of the Tibetan Administration subordinate to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His role embodies the highest political position in the Exile Government’s Administration. The current Kalon Tripa, Ven Samdhong Rinpoche, was democratically elected in 2001. This is his second and final term in the office.

This upcoming 2011 election has left many in the exile community torn between hope and fear about replacing the current popular Kalon Tripa. A large number of people, especially the youth, are excited and waiting for a change despite all the likelihood of upheavals in the transition — a common occurrence in most fragile democracies. Simultaneously, it is also mundane to have some idiotic disagreements on the physical appearance of the nominated candidates, or if they possess any form of kinship to some aristocrat family, or if the candidate once dined with Tibetan Bernie Madoff, Mr Pema Tsewang — or was found walking in disheveled clothes down the Gangkyi [exile government premises] alley for that matter! All the above-mentioned late-night bar conversations or closed-door household cacophonies don’t really matter, as we should not lose our hope, but focus on the quest for the one adorned with good education, articulate and resilient — a leader who is ready to make a difference.

So, who is this person? For the next Kalon Tripa, it is very important to understand that there will be lot of buzz and frenzy across the Tibetan diaspora, with tremendous expectations. This individual may be monitored very intimately and remain under the public microscope for some time. So, it is vital to demonstrate great efficacy and audacity to muster essential support and subdue all scepticism among the plenary exile Tibetans. Anything less would prove disastrous in the eyes of an already nervous audience. The candidate also needs to exhibit insurmountable determination and dedication to deliver the right decisions and demonstrate good leadership skills to lead the exile government in a favourable direction.

What kind of approach or preparations should the potential candidates embrace as we come closer to the election year? Perhaps one must ponder: Why are the nominees still not promoting themselves despite all the hype over this upcoming election? Is it because the exile government needs to publicise such important events more? Or are we lacking the correct political glamour to reinvigorate our people to engage in political duties? Or could it be our cultural behaviour, that esteems humbleness and humility more than self-promotion and proactive campaigning? So, who do we root for? Shall we wait for the emergence of a vibrant, charismatic, western-style leader practicising self-promotion, or do we keep to our existing norm of electing another traditional leadership with serious office experience under the belt?

As we all aspire for change and swift developments in the political arena, we must also recognise that our opponent is a multi-faceted economic giant, exhibiting extreme nationalism and minimal humility. Is this new Tibetan leadership expected to bring some change immediately, or will it just be a mere turnover of a chief in a new term? Advocating either total independence or the Middle-Way approach has been one major lingering issue for the longest time. Regardless, we must be cognizant that any new policy the Kalon Tripa brings forward has to win majority support in the parliament before being put into action, and the Kalon Tripa is constitutionally not empowered to make any executive decisions independently. If, indeed, he/she has no independent decision-making power and can not overturn the parliament’s mandate to press his/her own opinion, what critical role does the Kalon Tripa play in the administration? Why is this specific leadership change so much talked about, appearing so significant to us? Is it due to our paranoia and fear of a disastrous succession, or are we desperately craving for a change? Or is it due to His Holiness’ apparent aging and his intended retirement from the political environment?

The entire exile community must understand the whole perspective and be ready to render full support to facilitate a successful 2011 election. Needless to say, it is disheartening to learn how oblivious some people are to various political developments in the exile government, but we must provide continuous support to educate and familiarise those friends and families. The chief election commissioner has recently implied in one of his interviews that the department is gearing up for extensive coverage on the upcoming election through numerous official media. It would be fascinating to see if the commission not only facilitates the election process, but also educates the electorate on the importance of exercising the right to vote, and creates some sort of zeal and excitement within the local communities to entice people towards the voting booths.

In recent times, non-governmental organisations such as the National Democratic Party of Tibet and the European Tibetan Youth Parliament have taken various initiatives to organise discussions to improve awareness and educate the Tibetan public on the upcoming election. Similar initiatives have been taken by various news outlets in covering the campaign events. A few independent filmmakers have also made short videos and published them on major online networks to inform people about the candidates and the election at large. Such initiatives have brought an enormous effect, inspiring conventions of informal debates, creating awareness and generating innovative views to help push the exile community forward.

As for the public, it is critical to ensure a good voter turnout to reiterate our commitment to exercising the right to vote, and consequently, to show support to their personal favourite candidate. Voting is one of the fundamental processes, which is instrumental in the development of a healthy democracy. It is meaningless and futile to claim the fundamental right of speech by constantly bickering, and doing nothing but wasting saliva by bad-mouthing everybody except oneself. Now it is time to stand up and either provide tangible support to your favourite candidate or help find the right candidate to run this administration during this critical period in our political life. We must gather every single means to find the best candidate to help strengthen the fight and lead us in the right direction.

Today, it is not surprising to witness ordinary citizens indulging in deep discussions and furious rebuttals regarding the popular non-official website www.kalontripa.org, with its unprecedented approach towards short-listing candidates for the 2011 election. We must appreciate and applaud the outstanding personal initiative taken by the representative for Northern Europe, Mr Thubten Samdup la. Whether this is official or not, the website attracts hundreds of visitors daily to catch up on the latest nominees and other related news about the candidates. Indeed, this unprecedented nomination process provides equal opportunity for everyone to vie for the office or endorse a candidate who represents your views.

It appears to me that the public did recognise most of the potential candidates thus far, and it may be quite safe to say that one of these candidates from the shortlist will win the Prime Minister’s office. In the meantime, we should make a thorough search for any unnoticed potential candidates, to ensure fair and equal opportunity through out our exile community. After emerging from all the great losses and rejections over the last 50 years, we must fortify our strength and commitment once again to encourage ourselves to eclipse all relentless fears. If indeed, the next elected leader fails to qualify as an experienced one and is not fully ready for all the challenges of the administration and reforms, at least it will still be a significant indication to the Tibetans and the world that we are moving forward and are not afraid of newness.

Copyright © 2010 Tashi Wangyal

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