Dalai Lama steps down as Tibetan political leader

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Dalai Lama wants to step down as Tibetan political leadership- AP

The Dalai Lama announced on Thursday that he was stepping down as political leader of the Tibetan government in exile.

"As early as the 1960s, I have repeatedly stressed that Tibetans need a leader, elected freely by the Tibetan people, to whom I can devolve power," the Dalai Lama said in a prepared speech.

"Now, we have clearly reached the time to put this into effect."

The Dalai Lama has long seen himself as 'semi-retired' from political leadership with an elected Prime Minister already in place in the Northern Indian town of Dharamsala.

He remains Tibet's spiritual leader.