Retention of the two-phase election a victory to Tibetan people’s voice: TCHRD/ENG

2018. október 6./Phayul.com/TibetPress

eredeti cikk

By Tenzin Dharpo

DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 5: Lauding the decision of the Tibetan parliament to retain the two-phase election system of the exile Tibetan government, a prominent Dharamshala based rights group said that the development is a victory to the Tibetan people’s voice.

Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy’s Director Tsering Tsomo said that her organization has conducted extensive outreach programs at many Tibetan settlements that surmised overwhelming support for the two-phase electoral system. She was speaking at the press conference for the launch of a ‘special report’ on the exile Tibetan democracy.

The organization said it collected suggestions and opinions of common Tibetans during their awareness and sensitization initiatives on democracy in the Tibetan community in 11 different places including Tibetan settlements in Dickyling, Bylakuppe, Mundgod and Orissa. The same were then forwarded to Tibetan legislators prior to the parliamentary session that concluded last month.

Tsomo also expressed her reservations on the recent amendment in the electoral laws to ban NGOs including regional and religious associations to endorse presidential and parliamentary candidates in the future. She said that such laws may infringe on basic rights such as freedom of expression of Tibetans and that it is contradictory to ban regional and religious associations to endorse candidates as the candidature in the parliament is premised and enabled on regional and religious seats.

TCHRD’s latest 255 page ‘special report’ on the exile Tibetan government includes information on the evolution of Tibetan democracy in exile, the devolution of political authority by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2011 and the changes to Tibetan exile charter thereafter, among other topics. The rights group said that the report is intended to spread awareness on democracy in the Tibetan diaspora.