By Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Nov 17: The 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE) will reconvene its sixth session from Dec. 25 to 29, the Parliamentary Secretariat announced in an official circular on Thursday, adding that all members of the parliament must report to the Secretariat on Dec. 24.
The sixth session of the 17th Parliament was adjourned on the fourth day of the parliamentary session and a significant portion of the agendas tabled for the general session remained incomplete.
The 17th TPiE was unable to convene the general session of this year due to the absence of the requisite quorum needed for the session to constitute, following a walk out by some members of the parliament. The remaining business of this year’s general session was postponed until further notice on Sept. 28.
In accordance with Article 49 (ii) of the Charter of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, “In case a meeting of the Tibetan Parliament had to be adjourned for more than seven days due to the absence of the requisite quorum for the purpose, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker shall together take a decision to the adjourn the meeting,” the announcement read.
In another official circular by the Parliamentary Secretariat on Thursday announced the seventh session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile will be held from March 14, 2024, to March 30, 2024, in the Parliamentary Hall, adding that all members of the parliament must report to the Secretariat on March 13.
The protracted parliamentary deadlock has led to an increased perception among the public that elected Members of Parliament (MPs) are failing to fulfil their roles effectively, contributing to division, and falling short of their responsibilities as lawmakers.
Many also bemoan the wastage of the exile government’s financial resources including travel and conveyance and accommodation among other expenses for lawmakers for the session scheduled in December.
