ABOVE: “Official Logo of the Central Tibetan Administration”
SOURCE: “Central Tibetan Administration”
SOURCE: “Central Tibetan Administration”
Plans For Future Democracy in Tibetan Government-
“The government of Tibet under the Dalai Lamas was as feudal as anything in the Middle Ages of Europe. The social order was divided sharply between serfs and nobles, and the state owned all the land. Monasteries and individual landowners were given large land parcels, which were worked by peasants,”("Dalai Lama" Encyclopedia of World Biography).
After entering India, “On April 29, 1959 His Holiness the Dalai Lama re-established the Tibetan Government in the north Indian hill town of Mussoorie. Named the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, this is the continuation of the Government of independent Tibet. In May 1960, the exile government was moved to Dharamsala”("Government and Democracy”).
However the system of government changed after the Dalai Lama fled Tibet, “In 1963, His Holiness presented a draft democratic constitution for Tibet that was followed by a number of reforms to democratize the Tibetan administrative set-up. [This document] enshrines freedom of speech, belief, assembly and movement. It also provides detailed guidelines on the functioning of the Tibetan Administration with respect to those living in exile,” ("Brief Biography”). This new government is known as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
This democratic draft constitution stated, “the power of the Dalai Lama can be removed by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the Assembly”(“Questions and Answers”). The power to remove a Dalai Lama was something that was never before seen before in Tibetan history. With this new constitution,“His Holiness saw the creation of various new Tibetan administrative departments. These included the Departments of Information, Education, Home, Security, Religious Affairs and Economic Affairs”(“Birth to Exile”).
“While many leadership positions remain intact from the previous system, including the position of the Dalai Lama and his cabinet of ministers, the new democracy includes three branches of government, the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary, with clear separations of powers”(Mullen).
ABOVE: “CTA Organizational Structure”
SOURCE: Tsering Paljor
SOURCE: Tsering Paljor
This draft constitution led to the establishment of the CTA. As soon as this new government was established, “The Tibetan people, both in and outside Tibet, [looked] to the CTA as their sole and legitimate representative”("Central Tibetan Administration").
As time goes on, the CTA is starting to be,“ recognized increasingly by parliaments and general public round the world as the legitimate and true representative of the Tibetan people"("Central Tibetan Administration").
The Dalai Lama announced that when Tibet becomes free, “. . . the immediate task would be to set up an interim government whose first responsibility will be to elect a constitutional assembly to frame and adopt Tibet’s democratic constitution. On that day His Holiness would transfer all his historical and political authority to the Interim President and live as an ordinary citizen("His Holiness the Dalai Lama”).
ABOVE: "The Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Mr. Penpa Tsering, Giving the Statement on Behalf of the Parliament."
SOURCE: Namgyal Tsewang
SOURCE: Namgyal Tsewang