In an address marking the anniversary of the failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet, the Dalai Lama has announced he is now prepared to hand his political duties over to an elected representative.

The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader said Thursday that he is quitting his political role in Tibet's government-in-exile, "to devolve my formal authority to the elected leader."

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

Although he acknowledged widespread encouragement to keep up his political duties -- which range from approving legislation to giving oaths of office -- he said Tibetans would be better served by a leader "elected freely by the Tibetan people."

The transition, "is not because I feel disheartened," he added.

"My desire to devolve authority has nothing to do with a wish to shirk responsibility. It is to benefit Tibetans in the long run."

Gauging reaction to the Dalai Lama's remarks in New Delhi, The Globe and Mail's Stephanie Nolen described "an electrified sense of confusion" among members of the exiled Tibetan community.

"Particularly among young Tibetans there's a real eagerness to know what the outcome of this might be," she told CTV's Canada AM in a telephone interview Thursday.

In his remarks, the Dalai Lama explained that the process will begin with proposed amendments to the Charter for Tibetans in Exile when their parliament next meets in the northern Indian town of Dharmsala on March 14.

Contingent on those changes, the new Kalon Tripa, or prime minister due to be elected on March 20 could then assume the Dalai Lama's political functions.

The three candidates vying to replace outgoing Prime Minister Lobsang Tenzin are: 42-year-old Harvard Law fellow Lobsang Sangey, 63-year-old Stanford fellow Tenzin Namgyal Tethong and 63-year-old civil servant Tashi Wangdi.

At 76 years old, the Dalai Lama is said to be in good health, but concerned over who will take up his cause when he does die. As the 14th person to hold the position of Dalai Lama, he was chosen for the role as a child. According to the spiritual tradition, each successive Dalai Lama is believed to be the successive reincarnation of the enlightened Buddha Avalokiteshvara.

While the Dalai Lama has said his successor would likely be found in the exile community, Beijing has said the next should come from China's Tibetan areas.

Beijing claims Tibet is part of China, and considers the Dalai Lama to be a militant separatist.

Talk of retirement "are his tricks to deceive the international community," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters in Beijing Thursday, calling the Dalai Lama "a political exile under a religious cloak now engaged in activities aimed at splitting China."

The Dalai Lama insists that's not the case, however, arguing that Tibet was an independent feudal theocracy before Chinese troops occupied its capital city Lhasa in 1951.

In his remarks Thursday, the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize recipient repeated his calls for Beijing to ease its rule and give his Himalayan homeland a more autonomous role within China.

"The ongoing oppression of the Tibetan people has provoked widespread, deep resentment against current official policies," he said. "Tibetans live in constant fear and anxiety."

The Dalai Lama also touched on events in the Mideast and North Africa, describing them as "remarkable non-violent struggles for freedom and democracy", in remarks otherwise clearly aimed at the 6 million Tibetans still living in China.

"That there is a problem in Tibet is reflected in the Chinese authorities' failure to trust Tibetans or win their loyalty," he said.

With files from The Associated Press