Panchen Lama too young to enter China's top legislature
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-04 14:22

BEIJING - The Panchen Lama is too young to become a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, said a parliament spokesman here Tuesday.

"China's regulations stipulate that NPC deputies must be above 18 years of age," said Jiang Enzhu, spokesman for the First Session of the 11th NPC, at a press conference.

"According to my knowledge, he was not 18 years old when the election took place," Jiang said.

The 11th Panchen Lama Gyaincain Norbu was born in 1989 and ascended the holy throne in Tibet on December 8, 1995.