Shame on you Min Aung Hling! Since the beginning, it is wrong to have active-duty soldiers occupied one quarter of the seats in the parliament directly appointed by military commander-in-chief. [Burma Democratic Concern (BDC)] #Myanmar not ready for reduced military role in Parliament: Army chief In an exclusive interview with Channel NewsAsia, Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing says the military needs to be in Parliament because Myanmar is still a young democracy. The current Constitution mandates a 25 percent military representation in Parliament. Military officers occupy one quarter of the elected seats in Parliament. But under the Constitution, they are appointed and not elected by the people. Citizens are calling for that clause, known as section 436, to be amended. The military chief however is reluctant to do so at this stage of Myanmars transition. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said: Its been only about four years. We are still a young democracy. When we are moving towards a multi-party democratic system it needs to be a strong system. The military representatives in Parliament only give advice in the legislative process. They can never make decisions. It will depend a lot on the countrys unity, its peace and stability. To specify an exact time is difficult, he said, referring to the call to amend section 436. But that uncertainty is making many uneasy. Some feel the 25 percent military representation will hinder Myanmars democratization process.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 11:51:54 +0000
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