Dalai Lama rejects role of ceremonial head

Dalai Lama rejects role of ceremonial head

2011-05-26 00:45:56 GMT+7 (ICT)

DHARAMSALA, INDIA (BNO NEWS) -- Tibetan leader Dalai Lama on Wednesday turned down an appeal by exile Tibetans to be the ceremonial head of state, Phayul news reported.

The Dalai Lama told the participants of the second Tibetan General Meeting that he cannot remain a ceremonial head of state after retirement. He, however, said he will go through the report submitted by the congregation of exiles to him.

"If His Holiness refuses to accept the appeal of the second Tibetan General Meeting then we will have to sit down and discuss ways to devolve the powers in Article 19 of the Charter to the three organs of democracy," the Speaker of the Tibetan parliament Penpa Tsering said.

An estimated 418 Tibetans from around 25 countries attended a 4-day meeting, where participants discussed the draft amendments to the Tibetan Charter concerning mainly with the political and administrative powers of the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan leader met on Wednesday with them at an audience that was closed to the media

The Dalai Lama, 75, announced he would retire as leader of the government-in-exile on March 14. He took over as the 14th Dalai Lama in November 1950 to succeed Thubten Gyatso, who died at the age of 57 in December 1933.

He remained largely unknown to the international community until he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

As Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso is traditionally believed to be the reincarnation of Thubten Gyatso and was first recognized at the age of two. He assumed full political power at the age of 16 in 1950, but was forced into exile in India after the Chinese military occupation of Tibet.

Since 1960, the Dalai Lama has resided in the Indian city of Dharamsala which is now the seat of the Tibetan Government-in-exile. This fact remains a major irritant in Chinese-Indian relations. Dharamsala is sometimes also referred to as 'Little Lhasa', referring to the capital of Tibet.

The current government's mandate runs until August 14 and presumably the inauguration ceremony will take place on August 15, 2011 when Harvard University scholar Lobsang Sangay is scheduled to take over from the current prime minister, Samdhong Rimpoche.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-26