Committee to ensure Myanmar's power transfer set up
A parliamentary committee to establish a peaceful tradition of transferring power to a new head of state has been set up.
This followed the meeting between President Thein Sein and National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi on December 2. Both agreed to establish a tradition of systematic power transfer.
Union Minister Hla Tun will act as chairman of the committee, while Minister for Information Ye Htut, Director General of the President's Office Hla Tun, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Construction Maung Maung Ohn and Zaw Htay, director of the President’s Office will also join the committee.
NLD central executive member Win Htain said the committee would begin work in the coming week.
“From the NLD side, Myo Aung, Aung Thu and me will join the committee while ministers Ye Htut and Hla Tun from the government side will be included. The work of the committee will begin next week but detailed work will be announced later,” said Win Htain.
“We have to meet NLD members in the committee to hold discussions. We cannot name the date of the meeting yet” said Zaw Htay, director of the President’s Office.
The NLD can choose two of the three vice presidents from which a president will be chosen.
Aung San Suu Kyi also met with retired senior general Than Shwe this month.Union Parliament Speaker Thura Shwe Mann on December 11 said that the meeting would help bring change as Than Shwe is influential in government and army although he has no formal authority.
Shwe Mann said: “He is the main person to draft the 2008 Constitution. In other way he transformed Myanmar into a multi-party democracy. Although he has no authority over the government now, he still has influence over the government and power. Sometimes influence is more effective than power. Whatever he said, we can assume that it will have an impact. It cannot be possible that what he his saying is not important. He can have power through authority and control. Influence and power are not the same thing. We can work without power if we have influence."
The meeting with former Senior General Than Shwe proved a remarkable achievement for the country, said Suu Kyi.
To the Radio Free Asia programme “Rough Journey to Democracy” on December 10, she said both reached an agreement to serve the interests of the country, further cementing the significant improvement in political rights.
Nay Shwe Thway Aung, the grandson of the former military chief, announced on Facebook that Suu Kyi carried no grudges and would join hands with the Tatmadaw (defence services) to establish reform.
Than Shwe apparently said he would help her as much as he could if she was committed to improving the country.
Suu Kyi told RFA that she would concentrate on the future rather than dwell on earlier injustices carried out by the military.
She said she did not discuss charter change with Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing when the pair met recently.
