Four centuries of theocratic rule formally ends next month when Dr. Lobsang Sangay is inaugurated as the first democratically elected Kalon Tripa, or prime minister, of the Tibetan government-in-exile. In March, the Tibetan parliament accepted the Dalai Lama’s decision to relinquish his last remaining political powers.
The Chinese government was obviously unnerved when His Holiness announced this year that he intended to end his governmental role. Beijing’s apparent tactic had been to outlast the revered leader of the Tibetans, now 76, and then watch the leaderless movement fracture.
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