Political awareness 'key to good government'
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PEACE DEAL WITH ETHNIC GROUPS CAN BE REACHED ONLY THROUGH HONESTY: PARLIAMENT SPEAKER
Myanmar citizens should raise political awareness in order to elect and ensure a credible and reliable government, said Union parliament speaker Thura Shwe Mann.
“All citizens should have a keen interest in the country’s political affairs,” he said at Yezin Agricultural University on May 24.
He said the people’s participation in the political process like voting is the key to bring about a good government. In other countries, their citizens of all ages had keen interest in politics, he said, admiring the fact that even children make a trip to observe parliamentary sessions.
When asked about the peace deal, he said all ethnicity groups aspire for peace and that the deal can be reached only through honesty and transparency. Without peace, national solidarity would remain illusory, he said, calling for trust and friendship.
Commenting on agriculture, he said university students play a crucial role in agricultural development.
Universities should conduct research, maintain necessary laboratory facilities and employ skilled staff in order to enhance education standards, he said. He also suggested that quality paddy strains be introduced to boost the rice output.
Meanwhile, celebrities including movie stars and singers took part in a signature campaign to amend Section 436 of the 2008 Constitution.
Section 436 stipulates for more than 75 per cent of the Union parliament to approve amendments for a number of provisions in the Constitution. The campaign is aimed at revising the approval requirement to two-thirds of MPs.
“The Constitution is designed ‘of the army, by the army and for the army’,” movie director Min HtinKoKoGyi said. “Now this needs to be changed into ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’. We are united with the public.”
