Dalai Lama prompts Tibetan parliament to accept his retirement

Dharamsala, March 25: Prompted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s unbending decision to pass on his political power to an elected leadership, Tibet’s parliament in exile Friday formally decided to accept and act on his proposal.

 The members of the 14th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, which concluded its 10-day session here today, unanimously passed a resolution to amend the Charter of Tibetans in Exile to finally pave way for the Dalai Lama's proposal to give up his political role in Tibet’s government in exile.

 The members of the parliament also agreed to hold a “Special Session” for the implementation of the amendments to the Charter. The lawmakers further agreed that they were bound by a “special responsibility” to find a logical conclusion to the matter before the current parliament dissolves in May this year after completing its full five-year term.

 Accordingly, the parliament decided to form a joint "Constitutional Amendment Drafting Committee" comprising members of Kashag (Cabinet) and the Parliament.

 In drafting the amendment bill, the committee is required to consult legal and constitutional experts and also take into consideration the concerns expressed by the Tibetan lawmakers during their debates in the parliament session. The committee is further required to present the draft of the amendment bill to the Parliamentary Secretariat by April 11, 2011.

 In the resolution, the parliament also agreed to host a “Second Tibetan National General Meeting” towards the third week of May to deliberate on ways to still accommodate a special symbolic role for the Dalai Lama in the Charter of Tibetans in Exile.

 The resolution declares that the final outcome would then be discussed and be finally implemented during the “Special Session” of the parliament, the dates for which is yet to be finalised.