Kalon (Minister) Dicki Chhoyang, who headed the Central Tibetan Administration’s department of Information and International Relations for four and half years, resigned from her post on February 29, three weeks prior to the Tibetan election. Her resignation in the midst of election fever has prompted much speculation . On March 6, Dicki Chhoyang issued a statement on Voice of America, saying she was under no external pressure and has resigned so she could express her personal opinions on the coming election. She also shared a list of personal character traits she feels people should look for in the new Sikyong.
• Committed to the collective interest — A Sikyong should be a person whose motivation and dedication to the collective interest is beyond question.
• Someone who can think holistically and with a long-term vision.
• Honest — Who will tell the truth, answer questions directly and be transparent.
• A team player — A person who can bring the best in other people through collaboration, mutual support, guidance and encouragement.
• Value substance over appearance — Someone who will understand that having depth is more important than external appearance.
• Respectful of others — An individual who will give due credit to colleagues and those who served before him/her.
• Humble — To not be boastful and have the ability to recognize one’s knowledge and skills limitations, to consult with others and listen to advice.
• Confident — Have the confidence to stand on one’s own merit and not refer to praise from respected leaders like H.H. the Dalai Lama and Samdhong Rinpoche as a crutch to gain public trust and respect.
• Who can rise above regionalism — Someone who will rise above traditional sources of community tension such as regionalism and not exploit it for personal gain such as electoral votes.
She said that this year’s election campaign season has strong regional overtones which she said is destructive. She continued “We must teach our children to think of themselves as Tibetan first and exercise their democratic right and duty to vote based on issues and not regional identity. Let’s hope we can demonstrate greater collective maturity in 2021.” Dicki Chhoyang said that she remains fully committed to the Tibetan cause and the Central Tibetan Administration.
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