Dhardon Sharling speaks to the press after her removal from Lobsang Sangay's second Kashag (Cabinet) in Dharamshala, India, on 3 June
2016.
Tibet Sun/Contributor
Tibet Sun Newsroom
MCLEOD GANJ, India, 3 June 2016
Newly elected as a kalon (minister of the Central Tibetan Administration) Dhardon Sharling has been removed from Sikyong Lobsang Sangay’s Kashag (cabinet) due to not meeting the age qualification.
Lobsang Sangay informed the members of Parliament that he has written to the Supreme Justice Commission about her removal from his Kashag, since she did not fulfil the age criterion.
He said that Dhardon had told him she was 35 years of age before he proposed her name to the Parliament.
Dhardon plunged into trouble after it was learned that she is short by three months to be a kalon, as her date of birth in the Tibetan tax receipt book (commonly known as the Green Book) showed as 23 September 1981, which makes her three months and four days short of the criterion to become a kalon.
According to the Tibetan Charter, to become a kalon, one must be 35 years of age or older.
Dhardon was elected as a kalon with 25 votes in the Parliament, and had been appointed to lead the Department of Information and International Relations by Sangay.
Before Sikyong Sangay proposed her to be a kalon, she was elected as a member of Parliament representing U-Tsang province with highest number of votes in the exile Tibetan elections held in March.
Speaking to the press after her removal, she said she didn’t look at age in detail counting months and days. She offered her apologies for her negligence.
She will qualify if we count her age in Tibetan Lunar calendar. The question is, does it say in the Charter that 35 age should be counted by international calendar year or by Tibetan calendar?
A joke for the day:
Banta sigh (Lobsang Wangyal) went to Delhi court to file case to get Indian passport, but he was stopped by security guard, and guard said “aare yaar tum to hamere admi hoo.”
There is no point in arguing her age. The supreme justice commission and the Tibetan parliament had already disqualified her appointment as kalon, and Sikyong Sangay has already withdrawn her name from the cabinet. It’s all settled now.
By the way, Tibetan GB is the the official document that is the basis of reference like for any other CTA staff. It’s sad she couldn’t be appointed kalon again or run for sikyong or Chitue election due to violation of Tibetan Charter. Her active political career is over due her own action, either deliberately misleading everyone, or by sheer stupidity, negligence, and excitement and ambition to become kalon even at the cost of breaking constitutional law! That’s poor judgement on her part, unfortunately and ruining her own political ambitions.
And why are you waging a personal attack on Lobsang Wangyal, instead of debating on the matter with substance and reasoning. He is doing his job as a journalist. We need to learn to grow and accept both sides of a story. After all, his holiness gave us “Mangtso” to express ourselves freely, and LW is exercising his freedom of media.
Dhardon Sharling should know better. She committed a huge mistake, whether intentionally misleading Syikong or Tibetan Parliament with her age, or by ambition or excitement of becoming kalon. This is no small mistake; she broke the Tibetan charter and constitution.
She made a huge blunder. As per Tibetan charter Article #21, once disqualified and removed from kalon, you can’t become kalon or sikyong. She should have waited for another 3 months or so. What a shame!
Dhardon Sharling committed a big blunder. It’s not a small mistake. It was not an oversight or negligence, but an obvious lie to get that post. She ruined her own political career, while carrying a huge ambition.
Sangay may propose her again whenever there is the opportunity (either in September if the parliament is in session after she turn 35 on 23rd September, or in March if September session ends before she turns 35). But I am doubtful if she will get through as now she has the tag of being a “liar”.
ugyen la from California, if you revisit this website, can you define “intelligence” for me?
When I look at this whole episode, it is a case of how a blind can not lead a blind.
Even most intelligent persons some times fail to check the minute details. Intentions from both parties are, I am sure, sincere. The intelligent young lady can be reappointed after three months. Wish all the best to Dr Sangay and his new cabinet.
.but can she be reappointed on 23rd September 2016 or after?
I rather want to see Lobsang Wangyal in kashag.
What a blunder! Both the parties are intelligent and yet, ignorant to our Charter.
I feel like Tenzin Dhardon tried to fool Lobsang Sangay to make it to Kalon, whereas Lobsang Sangay tried to fool her by offering post of Kalon and got fooled by accepting and concealing her true age. In the meantime, Dhardon lost her golden opportunity to play active politics and Lobsang Sangay lost his only female kalon, but in the end they both lost our trust and credibility in the world.