| Home > South-East Asia >> Burma | |
Burmese regime strikes down NLD's request to change constitutional oath
Reuters - April 23, 2012
The dispute marred Monday's opening of parliament as Suu Kyi and other members of her party refused to take their seats, denting an image of transformation on the day the European Union agreed to suspend most sanctions against Burma for a year.
The expected EU decision on sanctions is a boon for Burma's long-stagnant economy and could prompt the United States and Canada to follow suit and pave the way for development loans and a flood of foreign investment in a trove of natural resources such as oil, gas, timber and gemstones.
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy wants to replace the words "safeguard the constitution" with "respect the constitution" in the oath sworn by new members of parliament.
Suu Kyi promised supporters that, if elected, she would seek to revise the 2008 army-drafted constitution that gives the military wide powers, including the ability to appoint key cabinet members, take control of the country in a state of emergency and occupy a quarter of seats in parliament.
But the secretary general of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, Htay Oo, said his party would not introduce any proposal to change the oath. "The wording would have no impact on the development of the country," he said.
President Thein Sein said in Japan that he also had no plans to change the wording of the oath, Kyodo news agency reported.
The NLD wants to reduce the military's enshrined political role after five decades of often-brutal army rule, but its standoff over the oath risks alienating supporters.
"The timing is all wrong," said Aung Zaw, a Burma expert and editor of the Thailand-based Irrawaddy magazine. "It's quite a divisive issue and a lot of people are very disappointed because there are so many pressing issues that the NLD needs to be handling right now, in parliament."
The NLD petitioned Thein Sein and the house speakers to make the change after winning all but one of 44 seats it contested in April 1 by-elections, a landslide that raised hopes among many people that she would accelerate reforms in a parliament stacked with former generals.
"In any country, even the United States, they have to agree to the defense, not the respect, of the constitution," said Khin Shwe, an upper-house member of the USDP, which won a 2010 election boycotted by the NLD amid opposition complaints of rigging.
"If the NLD wants to change this, they need to do it from inside parliament," he added, holding up a list of countries whose lawmakers swear an oath to protect the constitution.
Changing the oath may come down to a vote of the bicameral parliament dominated by allies of the former military junta, who might not be sympathetic to the NLD after it was dealt a crushing by-election defeat.
The NLD seems convinced the issue will be settled this week and has told many of its elected MPs to stay in Rangoon, where the party has its headquarters, to discuss strategy, one MP told Reuters, requesting anonymity.
The standoff is unlikely to affect the easing of sanctions. The EU decision to suspend most sanctions, due to go into effect later this week, was taken by EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Luxembourg.
See also:
 |