Dharamshala, India — TPI Reporters Nikhil Kujur and Kalsang Choetso interviewed Pema Jungney, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and talked about the budget session of the parliament. The session was opened by the new Speaker Pema Jungney. He took over the charge from Khenpo Sonam Tenphel in December in the five-year term sharing between them.
 
Q1) Honorable Speaker, can you give a short Introduction on the recent Parliament session?
 
A1) Usually, in Charter of Tibetans-in-Exile, we have to summon parliament session within six months and thus we have two sessions every year. When the Charter was first adopted it was called Summer session and Winter session. Since the expenditure of the CTA in exile is mostly spent in India. We summon our Budget Session (Summer Session) after Indian Budget Session is over, otherwise we cannot estimate our budget.

Therefore, every year in March, we hold our Budget session and in this session, we are mainly focused on budget estimate for the upcoming financial year. The Financial year starts from April 1st to March 31st.
 
Today being April 1st, the new financial year has started. During Budget session, it is not only related to Central Tibetan Administration's departmental accounts and budget, but we take into consideration Tibetan people's welfare and their problems which were accounted to the ministers of the respective departments by Members of Tibetan Parliament when they visited various Tibetan settlements, by departmental staff or directly by common people.

Members of Parliament asked questions and clarifications to the ministers in the session and accordingly the ministers answer it or explain it. Thus this session is not only carried forward with the budget of CTA but we try to solve people's problems as well.
 
Q2) What kind of resolutions have been discussed most and which resolution got majority support and Why? Which important resolutions passed Unanimously and which are not?
 
A2) We proposed six official resolutions of mourning. The first resolution was to condole the demise of Supreme Head of Nyingma tradition Katthok Getse Rinpoche, who passed away last year. Then, Tibetan self - Immolator Dopo from Amdo Ngapa, who self-immolated and died for Tibet and Tibetan cause. The Former speaker of 7th Tibetan Parliament session, Former Kalon Lodi Gyari Rinpoche, who also passed away.

Then to our deceased Former Member of Tibetan Parliament Dakpa Namgyal la. As well as to our Tibetan friends, who are very close to us, Former Defence and Indian Railway Minister George Fernandes and Former US President George W. Bush. Both of them were supporters of the Tibetan Cause and were also fond of His Holiness Dalai Lama. So, these six resolutions are unanimously supported. After that, in Tibet, since China occupied it, Tibetans are suffering a lot still now.

To see this interview in full, click here.