Parliament to discuss 51 bills in upcoming session

 

Parliament is scheduled to convene on May 28 and MPs will attempt to make amendments to existing laws and enact new ones.

“The parliament speaker has directed us to enact laws in conformity with the opinions and suggestions of the public and civic bodies. We are currently preparing to submit 51 bills, including a new Electricity Bill, the Standardisation Bill, the Associations Bill and the Right to Recall Bill,” said Saw Hla Tun, secretary of the bill committee. 

Among them, the Right to Recall Bill has been long awaited by the Union Election Commission.

“We will reform outdated laws once and for all,” said Than Than Yi, a member of the Lower House Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Committee on April 22.

Lower House MP Thein Nyunt will submit a proposal to amend the Prison Law, which currently allows authorities to fetter political prisoners.

Among the bills to be considered are those concerning religious conversion and population control, which were released for public debate this month. The bills will be revised in accordance with public suggestions, said Myint Kyaing, the director-general of the Ministry of Immigration and Population. 

Altogether 98 laws have been amended in the last three years. 

Some of them are controversial.

In March, Parliament approved the government-drafted Printing and Publishing Enterprise Bill as well as the Media Bill after many months of delays and negotiations. 

The Printing and Publishing Enterprise Bill was submitted by the Ministry of Information and it gives power to the government to regulate printing and publishing businesses. 

The Media Bill, on the other hand, was submitted by Myanmar Press Council and was intended as a self-regulatory framework for journalists. Months of deliberations and squabbling over various definitions have resulted in two laws, which cover many of the same issues.