Why did the 14th Dalai Lama step down as political head of the Tibetan government-in-exile in 2011?

In 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama stepped down as the political head of the Tibetan government-in-exile to transition the leadership to a democratically elected body.1

He believed that the traditional rule by kings and religious figures was outdated and stated that the Tibetan community should follow the trend of the free world by embracing democracy. By relinquishing his political authority—a role that had been held by the Dalai Lamas since the 17th century—he effectively made his position solely religious. This decision allowed the temporal responsibilities of tending to the Tibetan people to be handled by elected representatives, while he remained the community's spiritual leader.123