Amritsar, India - The Dalai Lama said Tuesday the Tibetan people will hold a referendum before he dies to decide whether a new system of leadership is necessary for the Himalayan people.
Just what form the referendum will take was not immediately clear, but he proposed what could be a major change in the centuries-old system to choose the spiritual and political head of the Tibetans.
"If people feel that the institution of the Dalai Lama is still necessary, it will continue," he told reporters during a gathering of religious leaders from around the world in this northern Indian city.
"When my physical condition becomes weak, then serious preparations (for the referendum) should happen," said the 72-year-old exiled Tibetan leader.
The Dalai Lama said the vote would be held among all traditional Tibetan Buddhists along the Himalayan range and into Mongolia, but gave no timeframe for it, adding that "according to my regular medical checkup I am good for another few decades."
China, which has ruled Tibet with a heavy hand since its Communist-led forces invaded in 1951, condemned the statement, saying a referendum would be a breach of established religious practice.
For centuries, the search for the reincarnation of religious leaders, known as lamas — including the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual head — has been carried out by Tibetan monks following the leaders' deaths.
In its response, China's Foreign Ministry defended the traditional practice.
"The Dalai Lama's statement is in blatant violation of religious practice and historical procedure," the ministry said in a statement faxed to The Associated Press.
But a recent order by China that Beijing must approve all lama appointments has led to concerns that the central government may forcibly select a pro-Beijing leader once the current popular Dalai Lama is dead.
Concerns over succession were also stirred when China refused to recognize the Dalai Lama's pick for Panchen Lama, the second-highest ranking figure in the religion, following the death of the previous Panchen Lama in 1989.
China instead installed its own pick in 1995, and the boy recognized by the Dalai Lama disappeared soon afterward and has reportedly been in Chinese custody since. China says he is living a normal life but has given no details.
The Tibetan leadership in exile has begun exploring several possible ways to prevent Chinese interference with succession, including the referendum.
The Tibetan spiritual leader also raised the possibility of naming a new Dalai Lama while he was still alive.
The Dalai Lama, who made the proposal during an interview in Japan last week, fended off criticism that it would break with Buddhist tradition, saying there was precedent for an incarnation being named while the predecessor was still alive.
China has accused the Dalai Lama of defying its sovereignty by pushing for Tibetan independence.
The Dalai Lama says he wants "real autonomy" for Tibet, not independence. He has lived with followers in exile in India since fleeing Chinese soldiers in 1959.