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Photo: Leader of the victorious NLD party Aung San Suu Kyi (L) meets with incumbent president Thein Sein. (Supplied: Myanmar President Office)Myanmar’s democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has discussed the smooth transfer of power to her party with president Thein Sein, the first time the two have met considering that her National League for Democracy (NLD) swept to victory at a November election.
When the new administration is sworn in early next year, it will be the 1st time given that 1960 that a democratically elected government will take office in the country crippled by decades of military rule.
But workable ties with the military, which retains considerable energy, will be essential for Ms Suu Kyi as her celebration seeks a smooth debut in government.
Amongst the Nobel laureate’s 1st post-victory moves was to ask for reconciliation talks with reformist ex-basic Mr Thein Sein and armed forces supremo Min Aung Hlaing, whose military runs the interior, defence and border affairs ministries beneath a constitution drafted before the finish of its half-century rule.
Ms Suu Kyi had a closed-door meeting with Mr Thein Sein at his residence in Naypyitaw and the 45-minute talks have been centred on the transfer of power, according to the president’s spokesman and data minister, U Ye Htut.
She was due to meet military leader Min Aung Hlaing in the afternoon at 2:00pm (nearby time).
“We have opened a communication channel among the two sides,” Mr Ye Htut told a news conference.
“They mainly focused on the smooth and peaceful transfer of the state responsibilities to the future government … to cooperate bilaterally so that there will not be any concerns amongst the people.”
He mentioned the transfer to a new president was “fully unprecedented in our history”.
However, Myanmar’s constitution is most likely to be a bone of contention in between the NLD and the military.
It enshrines a power-sharing arrangement amongst the armed forces and an elected ruling party, regardless of the size of its public mandate.
The military argues that is essential to defend a fledgling democracy and keep peace, but it implies the NLD will need to have military support in governing an underdeveloped nation with an outdated bureaucracy, weak infrastructure and ailing healthcare and education sectors.
Ms Suu Kyi, 70, wants to function with the military but has been clear about wanting to change parts of the constitution, like a clause that bars her from becoming president due to the fact her two young children are foreign citizens.
Mr Ye Htut said amending that post was not discussed and it would be up to the new parliament to choose.
It is uncertain whether or not the NLD plans to tread meticulously as soon as it requires office, or take a danger by launching one more push to minimize the political function of the armed forces. The military gets a quarter of legislative seats under the constitution and that amounts to holding a veto on altering the charter.
Both Mr Thein Sein and Basic Min Aung Hlaing have endorsed the election win and presented assistance in guaranteeing a smooth transition to the new government in between February and April next year, easing jitters about feasible turbulence.
Ms Suu Kyi has taken a more conciliatory tone towards the military given that becoming a lawmaker but her meeting with Basic Min Aung Hlaing comes after she spoke out at against him in June for influencing military legislators.
Right after the bloc voted in unison to preserve its veto powers, Ms Suu Kyi stated: “He’s not elected by the folks, so why does he have the right to determine?”
Reuters
Topics: elections, army, human, defence-forces, planet-politics, burma, asia