Democracy is something that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has dreamed of giving to his people since he was young. Even before the tragic flight of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and some 80,000 Tibetans into exile in 1959, after the Tibetan National Uprising was crushed by the Chinese, His Holiness the Dalai Lama had introduced several reforms aimed at establishing greater democracy but his efforts were hampered by the Chinese occupying forces.

Soon after His Holiness the Dalai Lama's arrival in India, he subsequently re-established the Tibetan Government in exile, based on modern democratic principles. The exile Tibetan Government is composed of three organs -- executive, legislature and judiciary -- with clear separation of powers.

The Kashag, or the Council of Ministers, is the highest executive authority. Under it are various departments such as Home, Education, Finance, Health, International Relations, etc. The members of the Kashag are elected by the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies (ATPD).

The ATPD is the government's legislative wing of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. It has framed and passed the Charter of Tibetans in Exile, which in effect is the Constitution of the exile government. The members of the ATPD are directly elected by the Tibetan people through universal adult suffrage. The Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, which in effect is the constitution, has been framed and passed by the Assembly.

Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission is the highest judicial organ and guardian of the Charter. The justice commission also redresses people's grievances against the Administration.

In 1963, the Dalai Lama promulgated a democratic draft constitution for a free Tibet from the headquarters of the exiled Tibetan government in Dharamsala, north India. It was this act that paved the way for the development of one of the world's newest democracies.

Today there are over 130,000 Tibetans in exile and large number of them live in Tibetan refugee settlements in India and Nepal. Over the past 37 years in exile, the Tibetans have worked hard to re-establish their various religious and cultural institutions to preserve and promote their identity.

The Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies, based in the Dharamsala is the Tibetan parliament in exile. It is composed of members who are directly elected by the Tibetan people living in the Indian sub-continent and in over 33 different countries in the west.

During the past 37 years in exile, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has continually emphasised the need to further democratise the Tibetan administration. In their years in exile, the Tibetans have endeavoured to gain experience in the workings of a true democratic system of government.

Over the years, various democratic reforms were introduced by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. However, in May 1990, the blitzkrieg reforms called for by the His Holiness saw the realisation of a democratic government for Tibet. Dissolving the 10th Assembly and the Tibetan Cabinet (Kashag) which has been appointed by Him, His Holiness called for fresh election.

The 12th Assembly of Tibetans People's Deputies which was elected in April 1996 was on the bases of one man one vote. It is composed of 46 members, including a Chairperson and a Deputy-Chairperson. The Assembly consist of ten members each from the three provinces of Tibet (U-Tsang, Amdo and Kham), two members each from the fours schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, the indigenous religion of Tibet. A further two members represent the Tibetans in Europe and one from America. Three members are nominated by the Dalai Lama.

The new election procedure is unique since, for the second time, three members from America and Europe were elected independently without reference to a particular province or religious body. Moreover, the latest election saw quite a few young Tibetans who recently escaped from Chinese-occupied Tibet elected to the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies.

The biggest change from previous Assemblies is that the Tibetan Cabinet Ministers (Kalons) would be elected by the members of the Assembly making the Tibetan Cabinet more accountable to the Tibetan people. A total of eight ministers are elected

The Assembly holds two sessions in a year - March and September during which all major policy matters are debated. Further, the Assembly has been entrusted with the authority to oversee the working of the different departments of the Tibetan administration.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has appointed a committee to revise the existing draft constitution for a free and democratic Tibet. In the meantime, the new Assembly has adopted a new Charter for the Tibetan people in exile.

The Charter, which provides detailed guidelines on the functioning of the Tibetan government and people while in exile, states that Tibet comprises of the three traditional provinces - U-Tsang, Amdo and Kham - and that the future free Tibet will be a federal and democratic state. The Charter guarantees freedom of speech, belief and movement, and states that any Tibetan who holds a Tibetan "Green Book" will have the right to participate in future elections regardless of any other citizenship which he or she may hold.

The Tibetan Parliament in Dharamsala had passed a resolution calling for total independence of Tibet through non-violence during its winter session in February 1992. The parliamentarians called on the Tibetan government not to negotiate with the present Chinese government unless His Holiness felt it was necessary because China had failed to respond positively to various Tibetan initiatives.

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Last updated: 30-Sept-96