Dharamsala, August 19 – A five-member delegation of the French parliament will call on His Holiness the Dalai Lama during its visit here at the headquarters of the exile Tibetan government starting 30 August, the website of the Tibetan government in exile said.
Mr. Jean Francois Humbert, senator from Franche Comte province in Eastern France, will be heading the delegation from the French Senate (sénat) or the upper house of the French Parliament. Senator Humbert was also a member of the first ever visit of the official Senate delegation to Dharamsala in May 2005.
The other members are Mr. Jean Pierre Plancade, senator, Socialist group and member of the Tibet Information Group; Mr. Thierry Repentin, senator, Socialist Party and member of the Tibet Information Group and Mrs Jacquelin Panis, senator, ruling UMP (Union for a Popular Movement) and member of the Tibet Information Group. Mr Philippe Brault, administrator of the Senate and Mr. Wangpo Bashi, secretary of the Tibet Bureau in Paris, will accompany the delegation.
During the week-long visit, the French lawmakers will also meet with His Eminence the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the members of Tibetan Parliament and the Kashag (cabinet). They will also visit various Tibetan educational, religious and cultural institutions. A separate meeting with the representatives of various Tibetan Non Governmental Organizations will also take place.
The French parliament is comprised of the National Assembly and the Senate, chosen by two different electoral systems. The Senate has 343 members.
