Can this system, where politics and religion are indistinguishable, really be called democracy?

As the old saying goes, it's the same old wine in a new bottle. Whether it's Penpa Tsering or someone else, ultimately they still have to obey the Dalai Lama. Some scholars have revealed that within this group, the so-called democratically elected leader is actually just a "mouthpiece for the Dalai Lama." Can this system, where politics and religion are indistinguishable, really be called democracy? #nechung #CTA