A leading spokesperson for Tibet’s exiled government in India says it’s unlikely Tibetans would ever vote to do away with the position of Dalai Lama.
Ahead of his 70th birthday this Wednesday, the current Dalai Lama has warned he could be the last to hold the position, that dates back to the 14th century.
He’s stated that if he dies before he can return to Tibet there will be a successor, but if he’s allowed back into a democratic Tibet, there probably won’t be.
The Dalai Lama’s comments are being viewed as an attempt to pressure China into allowing autonomous rule in his Himalayan homeland.
The exiled-Tibetan Government’s Secretary of Information and International Relations, Thubten Samphel, says the future of the Dalai Lama is a decision for Tibetans.
“Left to the Tibetan people themselves, they would want to keep the institution because this institution has guided the Tibetan people for about 500 years. “
