The Democratic Voice of Burma quoted Myat Nyana Soe, an NLD lawmaker who was re-elected, as saying he doubted the current USDP-dominated chamber would undertake any major decisions during its final session, adding that parliament is still under Shwe Mann, who has good relations with Aung San Suu Kyi.
Advertisement
Myanmar’s parliamentary Speaker yesterday urged lawmakers from the incumbent ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) to play fair in the outgoing legislature’s remaining debates, which could determine the Budget Ms Aung San Suu Kyi’s government will inherit next year. Both men have given such assurances in public. New evidence published by the U.K.-based watchdog group Global Witness last month showed that military-run companies are making vast sums of cash from the trade in precious jade, which fuels a conflict between the central government and an armed group seeking more autonomy for the Kachin ethnic minority.
A new Suu Kyi government could conduct systematic reviews of projects agreed by the previous government, said Thet Thet Khine, with a similarly pragmatic approach taken.
In addition to its sweep of the Union Parliament, the NLD is in possession of majorities in the parliaments of Monday, Karen and Karenni states, where ethnic political parties all fared poorly.
But the NLD government will need the military. So far the signs are positive, according to Khin Zaw Win who said the NLD had a “once in a century” chance to steer Myanmar towards a brighter future.
However U Than Soe Naing says he does not believe the NLD will want to take the risk of negotiating over the old sticking points of the ceasefire process.
“Daw Suu still has to build a good relationship and trust between the NLD and the Tatmadaw”.
“We won’t be able to solve the problem as long as the global community is supporting and standing for the Bengalis”, said ANP vice-chairman Phone Minn, using the government’s term for the group, which insinuates they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
On Sunday Thein Sein, whose quasi-civilian government has opened the hermit nation to the world since taking power in 2011, said the elections were the result of his sweeping reforms and sought to reassure Myanmar’s nervous populace that the handover of power would be smooth. It’s widely expected that she will ask a representative from the military to occupy the post of president for the next two years.
He also referred to her fearless campaigning for democracy in Myanmar for decades.
“Since we are having a landslide majority, there is no way we would consider a coalition” with ethnic parties, NLD spokesman Win Htein told Reuters. A large number are medical doctors, who will join ranks of former political prisoners and several poets as the largest voting bloc in the parliament in Naypyidaw.
Advertisement
He declined to comment on how the foreign-funded Myanmar Peace Center, which assists the USDP government, would be involved under the new NLD government.
