DHARAMSHALA – The Dalai Lama pleaded with exiled Tibetan MPs Monday to accept his resignation as their political leader, warning that a delayed handover could pose “an overwhelming challenge”. In a letter read out to the exiled parliament, the 75-year-old Nobel peace laureate argued that the Tibetan movement was now mature enough for a directly-elected political leader. “If we have to remain in exile for several more decades, a time will inevitably come when I will no longer be able to provide leadership,” he said in the letter read by the speaker.
“Therefore, it is necessary that we establish a sound system of governance while I remain able and healthy, in order that the exiled Tibetan administration can become self-reliant rather than being dependent on the Dalai Lama,” he said. The matter is scheduled to be debated on Tuesday, with the Dalai Lama requesting an amendment to the exiled government’s constitution allowing him to step down. The Dalai Lama’s political title is largely symbolic and he will retain the more significant role of Tibet’s spiritual leader.
