Drafting panel set up

DHARAMSALA: A five-member Constitutional Amendment Drafting Committee, including members of Kashag (Cabinet) and exiled Tibetan parliament, has been constituted to redraft the Tibetan charter to facilitate transfer of power from the Dalai Lama to the elected political head.
The panel had been set up after the 14th Tibetan Parliament passed the resolution unanimously on the concluding day of its annual budget session on March 25.The Dalai Lama announced his retirement in a statement made by him on March 10 on the 52nd anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising Day, to devolve his political authority to an elected leader. The members would comprise speaker Penpa Tsering, de facto PM Samdhong Rinpoche, deputy speaker Dolma Gyari, education minister Thupten Lungrik and ex-speaker Pema Jungney.
It would submit the draft pertaining to changes to be made by it in redrafting of Tibetan charter to parliament by April 11. Subsequently, the exiled Tibetan parliament would also organize a Tibetan general meeting possibly in the third week of May to seek broader opinion and perspective on the changes to be made in the Tibetan charter for transition of power from the Dalai Lama to the elected head.
The Dalai Lama despite requests from Tibetans and Tibetan parliament has rejected the calls for going back on the decision of his retirement.