Tibetan Parliament Congratulates Pelosi on re-election

Monday, January 12, 2009

Phayul
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U.S House of Representive Speaker, Nancy Pelosi with His Holiness the Dalai Lama during her visit on March 21, 2008, to Dharamsala, headquarters of the exile Tibetan government.

Dharamsala, Jan. 12: The Tibetan parliament in exile today congratulated Speaker of US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, on her being elected speaker of the 111th Congress. Pelosi is the first woman speaker of the US Congress.

In a letter addressed to Ms. Pelosi, Deputy speaker of Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Dolma Gyari, said, “On behalf of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, I am most privileged to convey our heartiest congratulation on your re-election to the historic responsibility of the first ever woman speaker of the U.S congress.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi last year paid an urgent visit with a US Congressional delegation to Dharamsala in the immediate aftermath of Tibet unrest.

The Tibetan Parliament in Exile passed a unanimous resolution expressing gratitude to speaker Nancy Pelosi for her overwhelming support for Tibet during a critical period.

“Your opening remarks at the 111th congress are in itself a directive for all parliamentarians world wide. We are confident that you will take the congress forward and will once again succeed to lead the house to rise to the challenge, recognizing that one’s love for country is stronger than the issues, which may lead to division.”

Ms. Gyari Dolma thanked Speaker Pelosi for her support to the peaceful initiatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people. “With leaders like you in the helm of power and responsibilities, the victims of Human Rights Violations & the Deprived can hope for Dignity and Justice.”

Her fellow Democrats, with an expanded majority, elected her over Republican John Boehner on the first day of the 111th Congress.

Pelosi received 255 votes, to Boehner's 174. The announcement was met with a standing ovation from fellow lawmakers.

Pelosi, a democrat from San Francisco, will lead a Democratic majority that has grown by more than 20 members since the end of the last Congress.