Dharamsala, November 29 - With the election for Kalon Tripa only a year away, exile Tibetans displayed fresh vigour and determination in preparing for the year 2011. Tibetan exiles will go to polls for the Kalon Tripa, the Tibetan Prime Minister of the exile Tibetan community which began to be directly elected by the Tibetan people since 2001. Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, a former academician and a Gandhian, is currently serving his second consecutive term as the Kalon Tripa.

As the exile Tibetan democracy turns 49 years old, the National Democratic Party of Tibet (NDPT) initiated a panel discussion on "The significance of the year 2011 and the status of our Democracy" yesterday at the newly built hall of the Mcloed Ganj Tibetan Day. Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament Mrs Gyari Dolma, member of Tibetan parliament Mr. Dawa Phunkyi, Tibetan Election Commisioner Jampal Chosang, former Kalon Mrs. Rinchen Khando, Writer and Researcher Mr. Lukar Jam, President of Tibetan Youth Congress Mr. Tsewang Rigzin, Editor of Tibet Express Mr. Lungik Gyal and assistant editor of Tibet Express Mr. Choenyi Gyaltsen were the members of the panel moderated by radio journalist Tashi Wangchuk and NDPT’s general secretary Ytruk Tsering.

The speakers vented a common tone when they attributed the success of the Tibetan democracy to the selfless efficacy of the spiritual and temporal leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and said that this democracy needs to thrive and grow. The panellists mutually agreed about the significance of the year 2011 in determining the administration of the Tibetan Government in Exile and aired pangs of anxiety over how a wrong candidate can create disarray and prove to be detrimental to the 50 years of non-violent political struggle. Few panellists lamented on the sorry state of affairs in the current democratic set-up and called for radical changes. The questions coming from the audience palpably aired a common consensus on the need for more adept parliamentarians in an apparent reference to the 'walkout and boycott' during the last session.

Deputy Speaker Mrs Dolma Gyari said that unlike the electoral system in other democracies where the aspiring political candidates can avail a ticket through affiliation with certain political parties, the exile democratic system which is devoid of any recognized political parties, deem the public mandate as imperative and it is therefore the people who has the ultimate power and authority to choose the right representative.

NDPT president Chime Yungdrung emphasised on the need for more political parties and their due recognition by the election commission. The crunch of the discussion stressed on the fact that the biggest challenge for the exile democracy is to establish the exile Tibetan government as the sole representative of the Tibetan people inside and outside of Tibet and amidst the paradigm of this democracy to combat and counter the Chinese muscle.

The deputy speaker said that the election of good parliamentarians to strengthen the legislative body holds significance and that it slightly outweighs the importance of the election of the Kalon Tripa.

Writer Lukar Jam identified the role of the exile NGOs as having a great leverage at the grassroots level to engage the public as the active agents of change that they desperately seek within the current democratic framework.

TYC President Mr. Tsewang Ringzin appealed the voters to practice their franchise in the void of any display of regionalism and factionalism and to think purely and solely in the best interest of the Tibetan cause and struggle.

While there were signs of discomfit and discontent between the panellists on the choice between the currently followed middle way approach in pursuit of genuine autonomy for Tibet, and the goal for complete independence, but in delineating the qualities of the future Kalon Tripa, the panellists reached a common ground and collectively vouched for ‘an experienced, educated and altruistic individual’ capable of invigorating the hopes and vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Tibet, of building relationship between the Chinese Government and Tibetan Government in Exile.

The organizers allowed only a few questions from the audience while it provided the panellists with ample scope for discussions. The Election Commissioner Jamphel Chosang lauded this initiative by the NDPT saying the Election Commission will facilitate the Tibetan public with similar forums for constructive discussions in the lead up to the Kalon Tripa elections.