My successor may be woman: Dalai Lama

Melbourne: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has waded into Australia`s bitter gender debate raging around Premier Julia Gillard by saying his successor may be a female as women have the all qualities needed in leaders.

"If the circumstances are such that a female Dalai Lama is more useful, then automatically a female Dalai Lama will come," the Dalai Lama said told reporters ahead of a 10-day tour of Australia. The Nobel Peace laureate is scheduled to speak in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Darwin. Asked about the gender war reignited by Gillard, the 77-year-old monk said the world is facing a "moral crisis" of inequality and suffering and needs leaders who can bring compassion to their post. "In that respect, biologically, females have more potential. Females have more sensitivity about others` wellbeing. In my own case, my father, very short temper. "On a few occasions I also got some beatings. But my mother was so wonderfully compassionate," the Dalai Lama was quoted as saying by Australia`s AAP news agency. His comments come as an Australian opposition leader sparked a controversy by using "grossly sexist and offensive" words to describe Gillard`s body at a party fundraiser menu. Gillard demands the political scalp of Liberal candidate Mal Brough over the controversial menu. Opposition leader Tony "Abbott`s solution to this pattern of behaviour is not to show any leadership. I mean, he`s effectively stood by Brough," Gillard had said.\ Earlier this week, she had warned the Coalition`s (a group of centre-right conservative parties) "men in blue ties" would marginalise women and treat abortion as a political plaything if Labor lost the September election. She accused Abbott of a pattern of misogynist behaviour. PTI