As Australia’s leaders scramble to form a government, Tibetans are preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Tibetan democracy.

On 2 September 1960 the first groups of thirteen Tibetan People’s Deputies took their oaths of office in Dharamsala, setting in motion the Dalai Lama’s vision of a fully democratic exile community and a model for eventual democratic self-rule in Tibet.

A half century later, and after a succession of gradual reforms, Tibetan democracy has entered an exciting new phase. In early 2011 Tibetan exiles will go to the polls to elect a new parliament and Prime Minister. Tibetan communities in India, Nepal and the west are abuzz with talk of the upcoming election - the candidates, the issues, and the future of Tibetan governance.

In this special feature to mark the 50th anniversary of Tibetan democracy we look first at the history of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and then at some recent exciting developments.

In the early years the Tibetan people were reluctant to accept the Dalai Lama’s plans to curb his own authority and introduce democracy. Nonetheless, fully convinced of the need for a modern democratic system of governance, the Dalai Lama persisted with a series of sometimes-unpopular initiatives for distributing decision-making power throughout the exile community.

Following the first Commission of Tibetan People’s Deputies in 1960, the next major step came in 1990 with the Dalai Lama proposing an expansion of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile to represent all sections and regions of Tibetan society, along with further changes including giving more representation to women. Significantly, he renounced the authority to approve members of the Assembly, supervise its functioning and appoint ministers (Tibetan: Kalons). His recommendations were implemented the following year, with membership of the parliament rising from 12 to 46. Of the 46 members, 43 were elected and three appointed directly by the Dalai Lama.

The next significant development came in 2001, with the Prime Minister (Tibetan: Kalon Tripa) being directly elected by the Tibetan people as opposed to being elected by the cabinet (Tibetan: Kashag). Professor Venerable Samdhong Rinpoche became the first democratically elected Tibetan Prime Minister.

In 2003 the Dalai Lama proposed giving up the last vestige of his administrative power - the direct appointment of three members of parliament, nomination of the Supreme Justice Commissioners and appointment of heads of various government institutions.

Presently, of the 46 members of parliament, 10 represent the five Tibetan religious traditions, including the four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and the pre-Buddhist Bon religion. The three traditional Tibetan provinces (U-Tsang, Amdo and Kham) are each represented by 10 members, elected by Tibetans belonging to those provinces. A further two members are elected by the Tibetan communities in Europe and one by the communities in North America. With the Dalai Lama no longer directly appointing a further three members, there is speculation that three further representative positions will be added, including possibly a member for Australia.

There are around 130 Tibetan settlements and communities located in different parts of India, Nepal and Bhutan, in addition to many more in the West. The elections for the parliament-in-exile and Kalon Tripa are held on a single day throughout the world. With some remote communities lacking in basic communication facilities, the election process makes for a daunting task.

Signs that Tibetans have begun taking democracy very seriously include the arrival this year of the Tibetan Political Review - an online journal “dedicated to advancing constructive discussion of the important political issues facing the Tibetan nation”. Much discussion has been dedicated to the 2011 general election, with vibrant chatter over prospective candidates’ merits and debate over which issues should define the election.

Another new and independent initiative www.kalontripa.org has given all aspirants for the position of Kalon Tripa a place to publicly declare their nomination and outline their platform. At time of writing there are 24 nominees, 18 of whom have received the required 25 endorsements for candidacy. The list includes many of Tibet’s best-known parliamentarians, government officials and public intellectuals including Dr. Lobsang Sangay, Tenzin N Tethong (a former Kalon Tripa), Penpa Tsering (currently the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile), Mrs. Gyari Dolma (currently the Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile), Tenpa Tsering (currently the Chief Representative of the Dalai Lama in New Delhi), and Jetsun Pema (best known for her life-long work towards educating Tibetan children in exile). Some candidates have been on the road visiting the many far-flung Tibetan settlements to build support and engage in debates with the other candidates. Others have been placing campaign videos on YouTube, allowing Tibetans throughout the free world to get to know their candidates.

With just 39 days remaining till the primaries, expect much more debate and discussion over Tibet’s political future in the coming weeks.

Afterword
Hon Peter Slipper MP, a long-time Tibet supporter and Co-convenor of the Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet, will be heading to the 50th anniversary celebrations next week. The celebrations are being held in Bylakuppe, one of the large Tibetan settlements in the south of India.