By Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, September 18 – For the second time in the current session of the Tibetan parliament, a proceeding in session had to be cancelled owing to insufficient members in attendance. According to the Tibetan charter (constitution in exile) the parliament must have a minimum of 28 members in session at any given time. Today’s cancellation came after several members staged a walkout from the parliament in opposition to a motion tabled by a fellow member. The walkout today brought the number of members in attendance below 28 thus forcing the speaker to call off the session.
Ms. Dolma Tsomo, a Domey MP, expressed her objection to the reimbursement of travel expense of Sonam Topgyal, a Dotoe member, who had immigrated to Australia under the Australian government’s rehabilitation program for former political prisoners.
Interestingly the Standing Committee had already decided to pay Topgyal’s travel expenditure. Ms. Dolma argued that Topgyal is a member of Tibetan parliament from the electoral constituency of India, Nepal and Bhutan and is not entitled to expenses to travel from Australia. She argued that the Standing Committee’s decision was not fair because in the past there have been cases of members traveling from abroad but bearing their own travel expenses.
Though some members objected the inclusion of Ms. Dolma’s motion for discussion it did manage a way through to the discussion by way of majority. The motion was brought under a provision of the Tibetan parliamentary proceedings rulebook that allows the members to table individual motions for discussions in the parliament on Fridays.
Members who walked out accused Dolma of encouraging factionalism in the parliament by attaining signatures of 14 MPs to support her motion before presenting it in the parliament for discussion. Ms. Dolma denied any ill intentions behind bringing out the motion and said she only expressed her opposition to what she felt was not fair on the part of the Standing Committee.
Please refer also to Voice of Tibet’s radio bulletin in Tibetan language
