Myanmar president hosts rare Suu Kyi talks amid constitution debate
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YANGON (Reuters) - - Myanmar President Thein Seinhad a rare meeting on Monday with opposition leader Aung San SuuKyi to discuss constitutional changes and the first electionunder the country's new democratic system, a minister said.
It was the fifth round of talks between the two since theNobel laureate's release from house arrest in 2010 and coincidedwith a sharpening debate over a constitution that grants apowerful political role to the military but bars Suu Kyi frombecoming president.
"It was a one-on-one meeting and they discussed mattersconcerning constitutional amendments and holding a free and fairgeneral election," presidential spokesman and informationminister Ye Htut said on his Facebook page late on Monday. Hedid not elaborate.
Thein Sein approved a constitutional referendum law lastmonth following domestic and international pressure to reform apolitical system long stacked in favour of the military. Thearmy oversaw 49 years of brutal rule and left the southeastAsian country impoverished and chronically underdeveloped.
Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) partywant to change the constitution, which the military drafted witha clause preventing anyone with a spouse or children of foreigncitizenship from becoming president.
Suu Kyi, the daughter of late independence hero Aung San,has British sons and remains hugely popular in Myanmar. The NLDdoubts any referendum this year would address the exclusionclause.
Thein Sein's success in convincing Suu Kyi to enter apolitical arena controlled by the same generals who for yearshad persecuted her was among several surprise moves since 2011that saw him praised as a reformer.
However, she may need to be convinced to run again. Suu Kyisaid in December it was "too early" for the NLD to commit to theelection, slated for the end of this year. That followed thegovernment's lukewarm response to an NLD petition backed by fivemillion people in favour of charter change.
Political analyst Yan Myo Thein said he hoped Thein Sein hadgood intentions and that his holding of the meeting was not aploy to reduce political pressure.
"The most important thing I hope is that the governmentdoesn't use this opportunity just for creating breathing space,"he said.
"I hope this meeting will result in something that canbenefit the entire country."
