Speaker ready for 'four-side meeting' on charter change

 

The four-side meeting was requested by the National League for Democracy (NLD) in a letter to the President’s Office in November last year to discuss constitutional amendments. 

“We always met at the parliament session. I am ready for the quadruple meeting whenever. I can attend it when they arrange it. It is my principle to meet, discuss and cooperate,” said Thura Shwe Mann.

Union Assembly speaker was addressing a press conference at his office on March 6.

In return the president replied that he would consider the meeting only after the report by Myanmar’s Constitution Review Joint Committee has been released.

The joint committee submitted a report to parliament in January and the parliament formed another committee to implement amendments consisting of 31 members on February 3. 

The committee consists of 14 representatives from the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), two from the opposition NLD and 15 from various other parties.

“If the Constitution can be reviewed and amended, the country and its citizens will benefit. The constitution is a promise between the government and people. If both sides agree, all will experience the quintessence of the constitution and policies will be designated for the sake of the country,” said Thura Shwe Mann.

Several parts of the Constitution 2008 have been amended since the Thein Sein government took office. 

In 2012, the government amended the party registration law, re-legalising the opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The NLD took part in the by-elections on April 1 in the year, winning 43 out of 45 open parliamentary seats, of which 37, including Suu Kyi, are with the Lower House.

Lawmakers are now tasked with more amendments, to be in line with the country’s promise for a more democratic regime. One of which that has drawn global attention is the proposed amendment, to allow all citizens to contest elections regardless of the nationality of their children. 

Suu Kyi and her allies have said they are considering a boycott of the 2015 elections if the law that effectively prevents her from running for the presidency is not changed.

In January, Thein Sein said he backed changing the country’s Constitution to end the restriction.

Yet, in February, a 109-member parliamentary committee evaluating changes to Myanmar’s constitution found resistance to this clause. It received more than 28,000 letters following its call for comment on the proposed changes.