Aung Sang Suu Kyi's Party Registers for Myanmar Elections

[sharik]

under which sphere of influence Burma is now, the US or Britain's?

 

[waltky]

Sounds like Myanmar is charting it's own course...

... under the framework of democracy...

... which by the way, was developed by the Greeks...

... w-a-y before the idea of America or Britain came along.

 

[waltky]

Keeping Suu Kyi out of the running...

Is Myanmar's New President Just a Puppet for Suu Kyi?
Mar 15, 2016 - Myanmar's parliament on Tuesday elects a new president as the head of the country's first democratically elected government, but it won't be Aung San Suu Kyi, the face of the country's decades-long struggle against military rule. Here's why:

WHAT PREVENTED SUU KYI?

The military has been in power in this Southeast Asian nation since 1962. Faced with unrelenting international pressure, which boosted a non-violent campaign for democracy led by Suu Kyi that won her the Nobel peace prize, the junta began to pave the way toward a civilian government in 2011. But such was the antipathy of some generals toward Suu Kyi that they inserted a clause in the constitution to stymie her. The clause forbids anyone with a foreign spouse or children from becoming president. Suu Kyi's late husband and her two sons are British.

WHAT DID SUU KYI DO?

Her National League for Democracy party won the Nov. 8 parliamentary elections by a landslide. At that point she had still hoped to convince the generals to allow the constitutional clause to be scrapped. The military, for which a quarter of parliament seats are reserved in parliament, refused to relent during several rounds of negotiations with her. So the NLD had to nominate someone else to contest the election for president, who is chosen by members of parliament.

WHO DID SHE CHOOSE?

Foreseeing such an eventuality, Suu Kyi told the media before and after the election that she would be the real power in the government, and whoever becomes president would do her bidding. While her statement may sound undemocratic, she could argue that she was only reflecting the will of the people who voted for the party because of her. So she chose a trusted friend she has known for more than 60 years, a confidant who has been by her side for decades and an astute adviser all these years: Htin Kyaw, a 70-year-old former computer programmer and bureaucrat.

WHAT ARE THE PITFALLS?

Experts say that Suu Kyi's position on being the real power will ensure that Htin Kyaw will be seen as a seat warmer, and therefore an easy target for military leaders keen to reassert control. It gives him little clout in making policy decisions, even among his own colleagues. Experts also warn that it is possible foreign leaders and governments will bypass him and go directly to Suu Kyi, making him less relevant.

Is Myanmar's New President Just a Puppet for Suu Kyi?

 

[sharik]

under the framework of democracy

that is, puppets of the US ?

which by the way, was developed by the Greeks

and brought about the end of Ancient Greece.

 

[waltky]

First civilian President of Myanmar elected...

Suu Kyi confidant elected as first civilian president of Myanmar
Wednesday 16th March, 2016 - Myanmar Htin Kyaw, a close confidant of Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, was on Tuesday elected as the first civilian president of Myanmar after nearly 54 years of military rule in the largely Buddhist South East nation.

The 69-year-old politician was last week chosen by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party as its presidential candidate after a landslide victory in the November 8 general elections that followed decades of often repressive rule by Myanmar's generals. Since Suu Kyi, the NLD chief, was married to a foreign national and has two sons with British passports, she is constitutionally barred from becoming the country's president. Suu Kyi has been the face of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar and has battled decades of house arrest and harassment by military rulers without ever giving up on her non-violent campaign to unseat them. However, she has made it clear that she will be calling the shots in the new government even though she won't be occupying any constitutional post to run the country.

Htin Kyaw, who was hardly known to people outside Myanmar, was chosen in the joint session of the two houses of parliament on Tuesday. The parliament broke into thundering applause as the speaker Mann Win Khaing Than announced the result. "I hereby announce the president of Myanmar is Htin Kyaw, as he won the majority of votes." Htin Kyaw secured 360 votes from among 652 ballots cast in the bicameral parliament. "This is a victory for the people of this country," the president-elect said in a brief comment to reporters.

The military's nominee, Myint Swe, won 213 votes and will become the first vice president. Htin Kyaw's running mate from the National League for Democracy party, Henry Van Tio, won 79 votes and will take the post of second vice president. "We are very satisfied with the result of the presidential election," said Tun Win, a legislator from the Arakan National Party. "He really should be the leader. I hope he can lead this country to peace and stability, equality and implement the rule of law in this country."

Suu Kyi confidant elected as first civilian president of Myanmar