Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission clears Sikyong and EC of accusations
By Lobsang Tenchoe
DHARAMSALA, May 17: At a press conference held today at the office of Tibetan Legal Association, lawyers representing Sikyong Dr lobsang Sangay and the Chief Election Commission (CEC) Mr Sonam Choephel Shosur in cases filed by a group of Tibetans pertaining to violation of electoral rules, announced that the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission (TSJC) has dismissed the cases.
Representing the two, the president of the Tibetan Legal Association, Mr Lobsang Dakpa announced the dismissal of pending cases against his clients.
“The TSJC on May 16 dismissed the cases filed against Sikyong Sangay and CEC because the accusers failed to produce the documents ordered by the TSJC to validate their claims, terming it a baseless accusation the TSJC ruled out repeal on the matter,” Mr Lobsang Dakpa said.
“Furthermore, paying voluntary contribution through the Tibetan green book signifies that you are carrying out your responsibilities as an exiled Tibetan and in the electoral rules of the Tibetan Charter, it is mentioned that a Sikyong candidate must be a Tibetan, which could be determined by whether the individual’s parents are Tibetans. Nowhere in the electoral rules, is it mentioned that the candidate must possess a green book,” he added explaining the technicalities of the electoral rules.
Earlier at a press conference held on April 26 at Norbu House in Mcleod Ganj, Tashi Yangzom and Ven. Kunchok Passang, spokespersons for a group of people who claimed to be volunteers representing the Tibetan public, briefed the media about cases they have reportedly filed against the Chief Election Commissioner Mr Sonam Choephel Shosur and the current Sikyong lobsang Sangay for violating electoral rules.
The Chief election Commission was accused of negligence as he failed to pay heed to the spelling mistake in the current Sikyong’s name while Sikyong Sangay was accused of negligence and taking the Tibetan public for a ride as he was well aware of the spelling mistake in his name and took no initiatives to correct it.
In Sikyong Sangay’s green book, his name is spelled as Lobsang Sangay but the name used by the Election Commission in the election was spelled as Lobsang Sangey.
In the case summary of the TSJC, registered as case No. 19, the TSJC ordered the two accusers to produce the copy of the application they have written to the CEC on March 28, 2016 as the accusers have claimed to have the documents in their possession in their applications dated April 16, 2016 to the TSJC.
The TSJC had ordered the accusers to produce the documents by 5 pm of May 07, 2016 but the accusers failed to comply.
The TSJC extended the deadline to May 12, 2016 and upon further extending to May 16, the accusers produced a two-page document that was deemed incomplete and unreadable by TSJC.
Terming the documents produced by the accusers as invalid in the court of law, TSJC on the ground of article 37 (e) of the Tibetan charter dismissed the case and ruled out any further appeal on the ground of article 81.
