By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, May 17: The additional session of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) scheduled to be held on May 20 has been postponed to May 24, the parliamentary secretariat said on Sunday.
The circular by the secretariat instructed member of the parliaments to report to Dharamshala by May 22 despite the lockdown of Himachal Pradesh, the state where the Central Tibetan Administration is based. The state has imposed “corona curfew” until May 26 where only essential services are allowed and assembly of more than 5 people is unlawful. Also, the CTA’s directive for all of its offices to remain closed and for its staffs to work form home during the lockdown is still in affect.
Many have questioned whether the session will attain the necessary quorum required by the parliament to hold proceedings as overseas MPs will not be able to attend due to the international flight ban until May 31st. The MPs that are in India may also face difficulty in travel due to lockdown in almost all the states in India, including Himachal Pradesh.
Phayul’s repeated calls to the parliamentary secretariat and the Deputy Speaker for queries went unanswered.
The one-day session will likely see the house find a way out for the new Sikyong and MPs to take oath of office in the absence of a Chief Justice Commissioner or amendment of the charter that will accommodate appointment of new judges in place of the three justices of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission (TSJC) who were voted out by the parliament through an unprecedented floor test on March 25.
The members of the 17th TPiE are scheduled to take oath on May 30th following the swearing-in ceremony of the Sikyong-elect on May 26th.
