Today we have gathered here — the general public, the new Kalon Tripa, Lobsang Sangay, the outgoing Kalon Tripa, and friends of Tibet from various countries, who genuinely support the just cause of Tibet — to show our support and stand in solidarity with the new political leader. I want to tell you that today is a very special day in over 2000-year-long history of Tibet. During the time of great dharma kings, comparing with other neighbouring countries Tibet stood in equal stature with them in every field. This shows that the leadership provided then was dynamic and in tune with existing circumstances.

After witnessing the dramatic events and changes in the twentieth century, we are now in the twenty-fist century. This is a new time and a new era. For over half a century, I have viewed it important that we should build a complete and a functioning democratic system in our society. As a result, today though we are in exile, Sikyong is the highest democratically-elected political leader of our administration. As stated in the Kashag’s statement the term Sikyong means ‘political leader’. This is term has been in our political parlance from before.

Today is a very proud day for all the Tibetan people who directly participated in the democratic elections. I think that our brothers and sisters in Tibet, who are not even allowed to express their views and opinions freely, let alone participate in a democratic election, would also be proud when they hear about these democratic steps we are taking in tune with changing times.

When Tibet was confronted with imminent external threats, I was a naughty sixteen-year-old boy, who was lazy in religious studies. However, like the thirteenth Dalai Lama who took the political leadership at the age of eighteen, I too had to take the political responsibility at sixteen because Tibet was undergoing a very difficult time. At the time Tagdra Rinpoche was the Sikyong from whom I inherited the political leadership. Since then it has been sixty very difficult years, and yet as the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, I have been able to keep the issue of Tibet alive in the world. I consider this as my small achievement.

Today, sixty years after I took the political responsibility from Regent Tagdra Rinpoche under a different circumstance in Tibet, I am completely devolving my political responsibility to Lobsang Sangay, who is the new popularly-elected Kalon Tripa. This is in keeping with the trend everywhere around the world to move towards democracy.

For over a millennium, Tibetans have been practicing Buddhism in our day-to-day lives and have been able maintain, study and promote the complete teaching of Buddha. Today, the entire corpus of the Buddha’s teaching can only be found in Tibetan. For a practitioner of such a deep spiritual tradition, he should be realistic and move with changing tunes of time. There is no room for old and outdated practices.

Buddha taught a spiritual practice in accordance with the level of intelligence and needs of the people. Moreover, many political changes are taking place in the world.  I often say that the world belongs to its nearly seven billion people and not to the kings, religious heads or rulers. Same is the case with individual countries, where the citizens should have power and not the rulers. Likewise, the Tibetan people are the masters of Tibet and not the religious heads or their heirs. Therefore, I always state that it is wrong for the religious leaders to hold political positions. Since I, myself, am a religious leader with political authority, this contradicts my own words which makes me feel uneasy.

Now that I have implemented what I preach, I feel proud and will tell others to put into practice this principle that the countries belong to the people and the time to hold on to power through force is over. Similarly, I will continue to strongly speak about the importance of the separation of religion and politics.

Personally, I feel that today my most cherished aspiration has been fulfilled. The Tibetans in exile who have taken great initiative and interest in the election is the most important part of this development. As a result of your active participation, we have been able to elect a leader with high standard of modern education. So, I would like to thank the general public for their hard work. Lobsang Sangay has become the first democratically-elected Sikyong or the Tibetan political leader, who is vested with full political authority and responsibility. He will lead the administration with sincerity and dedication. If there are positive criticisms from the members of legislature, administrative staff, members of NGOs and the general public, it is right to criticise. Otherwise it is of utmost importance to consider our common cause more important than personal or group’s interests. During my recent visit to the US, I said that the issue relating to one’s political party should be secondary and that the primary concern should be the nation’s economic stability. Likewise, when Tibet is undergoing a life-and-death struggle, personal fame and fortune should not be considered more important than our common cause.

I would again thank Tibetan people for their hard work. In future too, I want to urge the Tibetan people to work in unity to realize our common aspiration. Thank You.

Note: This is English translation. Should discrepancy arise, please treat the original Tibetan final and authoritative.