DHARAMSALA – Tibet’s parliament-in-exile has formed a committee to hand over political power from the Dalai Lama, in a signal his devolution of power will get approval despite opposition from lawmakers.
The 75-year-old Dalai Lama, the global face of the Tibetan exiled movement, shocked many Tibetans by announcing he would hand over power, seen as transforming the government-in-exile into a more assertive body in the face of Chinese pressure.
The move comes a day after 83,000 exiled Tibetans across the world voted to elect a new leader. Two of the main contenders have hinted they could move beyond the Dalai Lama’s “middle way”, the policy of negotiating some autonomy from China.
“We have set a small committee to plan how to deal with the devolution of power. The committee will meet this afternoon, and the honorable speaker has instructed the parliament to submit a report,” said Samdhong Rinpoche, Tibetan prime minister-in-exile.
Many lawmakers fear a diminished presence for the Dalai Lama, whose trademark smile has brought Hollywood stars and the international spotlight to the Tibetan movement based in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala.
Tibet parliament prepares for Dalai Lama retirement
