Dalai Lama gives up political role

The Dalai Lama said he will give up his political role in Tibet’s government-in-exile, shifting that power to an elected representative.

The Tibetan spiritual leader has long said he wanted the elected government-in-exile based in the Indian hill town of Dharmsala to have more power.

He said in today’s speech that he would soon be proposing amendments to the exile constitution “reflecting my decision to devolve my formal authority to the elected leader”.

The exiled parliament is scheduled to begin its next session later this month.

Just how much change will come, though, is highly unclear. The Dalai Lama’s political role is largely ceremonial – an elected prime minister is the formal leader of the exile government – but the Dalai Lama’s status overshadows everyone else in the movement.

Dalai Lamas were traditionally both the political and spiritual leaders of Tibet, and the current Dalai Lama retains almost god-like status to most of his followers.