Harvard scholar to lead Tibetan exiles

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DHARAMSHALA, India, April 27 (UPI) -- Harvard-educated Lobsang Sangay Wednesday was declared prime minister of Tibet's government-in-exile, taking over a task held until now by the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama, 75, last month said he was giving up the responsibility of acting as an elected official, saying such a move was in the best interests of the Tibetan people. He remains the spiritual head of the Tibetans.

Sangay, 42 a legal scholar living in Boston, was elected Kalon Tripa or prime minister of the new parliament of the government-in-exile in Dharamshala, India He plans to move to Dharamshala soon.

Jampal Choesang, chief election commissioner of the Central Tibetan Administration, said the new prime minister will take charge Aug. 15 after the term of current Prime Minister S. Rinpoche.

Rinpoche headed the parliamentary committee to amend the charter for transfer of powers from the Dalai Lama to the new prime minister and other organs of the parliament, the Indian Express reported.

Sangay received 27,051 votes or 55 percent of the total 49,084 votes polled. The Express reported his election was expected after he became the front-runner in primary balloting.

Sangay, who was born in India but has never lived in or visited Tibet, has become popular among young Tibetans around the world. He has said he will follow the Dalai Lama's "middle way" policy of "meaningful autonomy" for Tibet under Chinese rule, rather than demand outright independence.

He went to the United States in 1995 and received his doctorate in law from Harvard, CNN reported.

In an interview with the BBC this month, Sangay said: "If Tibetans are granted genuine autonomy then his holiness the Dalai Lama said he is willing to accept Tibet as part of China."

Tibet's government-in-exile came into existence after the Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule of Tibet.