Myanmar’s president-elect has nominated Aung San Suu Kyi to join the government formed by her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD).
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Should she accept a position as minister, Suu Kyi will have to step down as an MP and refrain from activity in the party.
On Tuesday, Speaker of Parliament Mann Win Khaing Than read out the names of 18 ministers, who will fill 21 Cabinet positions.
NLD spokesman Zaw Myint Maung told reporters that she would assume the foreign minister role and would also hold several other roles, widely expected to include minister of the president’s office, of electric power and energy, and education. He has dutifully stood by every decision taken by the woman who stated she would “control and direct the president” and has said little in public.
Aung San Suu Kyi, 70, and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party have provided infrequent and scant details on their plans for government since winning a large majority in the historic November election.
Aung San Suu Kyi has declared she will keep power over president Htin Kyaw.
Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been nominated to become a member of the cabinet Myanmar’s president-elect, Htin Kyaw. It’s elected president Htin Kyaw also assured lawmakers that no civil servants will lose their jobs and that the nation will save $4 million by getting rid of 15 ministries.
NLD senior official and spokesperson U Win Htein confirmed last night that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would take the four posts.
She herself is blocked from the presidency under the junta-era Constitution, which bars people with foreign family links from the post – her two sons are British citizens.
The names for three security posts-ministers of Defense, Home Affairs and Border Affairs-were also revealed, with these positions filled by the Burma Army as per a constitutional framework that entrenches a military role in Burma’s politics. Fox News claimed that the newly elected president also intends to combine the ministries so that their number will be slashed off from 36 to 21. However, he said the military remains a strong force in the government. But he said: “I would only note that she can still develop the next line of management, as any head of government would”.
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Despite weeks of negotiation prior to the vote in parliament, the NLD was unable to persuade the military to remove or suspend the clause that prevented Ms Suu Kyi taking office.
