Dharamshala, 24, May: Today the 6th general meeting of the National Democratic party of Tibet started in the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) hall, McLeod Ganj. The conference, which will be for the duration of three days, began today with invited guests: Kiti Rinpoche Lobsang Tenzin and also attending was a representative from the president of TYC; Penpa Tsering. Also attending were representatives of other concerned NGO's and members of both centre and regional sections of the NDPT. In total approximately fifty people attended the opening ceremony.
At the beginning of the ceremony the president of the NDPT, Mister Chime Yougdoung, addressed the crowd he stated that the NDPT's basic objective is for the Tibetan government to recognize the NDPT as a political party and that the Tibetan political system will have, in common with other democracies, a two (or more) party system. In addition, he emphasized that the Tibetan governmental system should modernize, in line with other democracies, and instigate a parliament with a lower and upper house, for example, following the Indian tradition of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Mr Youngdoung also mentioned that this is a wish of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Up until now the NDPT has not been recognized largely as legal and successful political party because of inside problems within the Tibetan community, chiefly from within high levels in government, he went on to say. Youngdoung gave the example, that in 2008 at the 5th general conference, Mr Penpa Tsering the speaker of the Tibet parliament, was invited and he unfortunately only had negative comments to make concerning the NDPT. And secondly, as another example, recently at the funeral of Jampel Yeshi in Dharamshala, Penpa Tsering did not mention the NDPT in his speech despite mentioning all other relevant Tibetan NGO's and other organizations.
Special guest from TYC Penpa Tsering, the representative of the president of the TYC, later addressed the conference and wished the meeting success and he also hoped that the NDPT would become a successful political party in the next four years. Also, The Meeting was held to discuss on the upcoming 6th national convention of National Democratic Party of Tibet and regarding the 2nd resolution made by the Tibetan Youth Congress during the 42nd General meeting held in Darjeeling. During the election period, the newly elected members of the National Democratic Party of Tibet should be at least former executive members of Tibetan youth Congress as they demanded because National Democratic Party of Tibet is a Political Party of Tibet which was founded by Tibetan Youth Congress in early days.
Kiti Rinpoche Lobsang Tenzin, also spoke to the conference and suggested that it is not enough just to have a political party but that the party should be special and that the party should be able to attract more members. The party should also practice rather just talk and be proactive in being recognized by Tibetan government, the Indian government and by International institutions. At the end of the third day the party will also elect a new executive who will be the 6th executive of the NDPT.
