MYANMAR generals have donned the garb of parliamentarians but they are still committed to power flowing from the junta style of governance. Their one point programme is to keep the legendary Aung San Suu Kyi from power. A parliamentary committee recently voted against a proposal to change a constitutional clause which bars anyone whose children are foreigners from becoming Myanmar’s President or Vice-President. This was evidently targeted against Suu Kyi. The present Constitution is a travesty of democracy based on a farcical referendum. It enforces that 25% of the parliamentary seats should be reserved for the army which can veto or amend it. The vote against changing the constitutional clause is meant to prevent Suu Kyi from holding high office as her children are British. The move clearly indicates that the generals are apprehensive about her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), sweeping next year’s parliamentary polls in Myanmar. The present Constitution leaves it to parliament to elect the President.
The generals have in the process undermined their own position. They have proved that the Constitution is a joke. There is no serious effort to restore democracy in Myanmar. That will necessitate the scrapping of the Constitution. Only the victory of the NLD in next year’s parliamentary elections can make that possible. Suu Kyi has demonstrated her faith in the people. Whether or not the people will vote for a leader, however charismatic, with British connections is another matter. Suu Kyi wants a majority in parliament to be empowered to amend the Constitution. The democratic content of the Constitution has to be truly established.
