11:02 AM
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April 05, 2012 - PHNOM PENH--Myanmar's Upper House speaker said he
welcomed democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi's victory in a national
assembly by-election held April 1.
"Since Aung San Suu Kyi herself has declared that she will
always choose the benefit of the country ahead of the benefit of the
party, she believes that (we) can work (together)," Khin Aung Myint told
The Asahi Shimbun in an exclusive interview in Cambodia's capital on
April 4.
Khin Aung Myint said he was planning to call an extraordinary session of the national assembly to have the by-election winners sworn in as soon as possible.
It was the first interview given by Khin Aung Myint, either in Myanmar or abroad, since the National League for Democracy (NLD), an opposition party led by Aung San Suu Kyi, romped to a landslide victory in the April 1 by-elections.
Khin Aung Myint, Myanmar's Upper House speaker (Daisuke Furuta)
The speakers of Myanmar's Upper and Lower houses take turns to serve as the speaker of the Assembly of the Union, which combines both chambers.
Khin Aung Myint is a former member of the military and is a senior member of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). He said he welcomed the NLD into the national assembly.
"Both the government and the parliament wish to see an all-inclusive parliament," he said.
Khin Aung Myint said he had met Aung San Suu Kyi on three previous occasions.
"On each of those occasions, we talked to each other frankly and openly almost like brother and sister," he said.
"All constitutions of the world can be changed," Khin Aung Myint said of a possible constitutional amendment, something the NLD has pledged to do. "If the time and conditions make it necessary for them to change, they will definitely change."
He also said that the provision that one-quarter of all national assembly seats be reserved for members of the military "will most probably diminish in the future," if that is what the people so desire.
Khin Aung Myint said discussions are continuing in the parliament on replacing the non-elected seat quota for members of the military with a similar quota for intellectuals.
The NLD won by-elections in all four constituencies in Naypyitaw, the country's capital, where government employees account for the bulk of inhabitants. "That is because we have grown up with love and respect for Gen. Aung San, the founder of the Myanmar army and the Myanmar nation, and because Aung San Suu Kyi is his daughter."
When asked about the possibility of hard-liners within the USDP trying to frustrate radical reforms, Khin Aung Myint said: "I do not think that such a scenario will happen. The minority will always follow the wishes of the majority (in the USDP)."
Although the former military government seldom expressed appreciation for the achievements of Gen. Aung San, Khin Aung Myint likened him to a father of the nation and said: "Since Aung San Suu Kyi is his daughter, in a sense we are brothers and sisters."
Excerpts from the interview follow:
***
Question: The national assembly by-elections ended in a landslide victory for the opposition National League for Democracy, whose candidates won all four seats in Naypyitaw, Myanmar's capital. How do you regard the outcome?
Khin Aung Myint: I welcome newcomers to the parliament. I am very pleased the elections were conducted without violence. I believe in the policy of inclusion.
In order to make sure that the new members are sworn in as soon as possible, I am thinking of ways to call an extraordinary session.
Most of the population in Naypyitaw are civil servants, and they are enamored of Myanmar. They all love Gen. Aung San, the founder of the Myanmar army and the Myanmar nation, and with that mentality they love Aung San Suu Kyi (who is his daughter and the NLD leader).
Since the NLD won even in Naypyitaw, we can proudly state that the government has not shown any bias, nor any other coercion, nor any other transgression of electoral votes.
Q: Do you think that the elections were free and fair?
A: I don't think that anyone will dispute that.
Q: The NLD boycotted the general election in 2010, and it has staged protests against the government from time to time. Do you believe that you can still cooperate with the NLD?
A: The Myanmar parliament has a very unique characteristic. There are at present 17 parties and independent members. And these parties, including the non-elected military members of the parliament, have always followed a policy of looking toward the benefit of the country ahead of the benefit of the party.
If you look at the Union Solidarity and Development Party, you will discover that, although many people say it is a ruling party, it is not a rubber stamp entity. It does not automatically approve of everything the government does, and it has frequently protested and voted against many government proposals.
If you look at the last session of the parliament, you will discover that, when it came to the question of releasing political prisoners, the military members of the parliament supported it 100 percent. And furthermore, the move to cut away at the budget expenditures proposed by the government was headed by the USDP.
Therefore, since Aung San Suu Kyi herself has declared that she will always choose the benefit of the country ahead of the benefit of the party, she believes that (we) can work (together).
I have met Aung San Suu Kyi three times. On each of those occasions, we talked to each other frankly and openly almost like brother and sister.
Q: It is sometimes reported that there are hard-liners and reform-oriented parliamentarians within the same (ruling) party.
A: In every political party in the world, you will find a variety of opinions in many different countries. But the USDP is a united party, and the minority will always follow the wishes of the majority.
Q: What is your opinion on an amendment to the Constitution (that is called for by the NLD)? Do you still need 25 percent of all seats (to be reserved for members of the military)?
A: All constitutions of the world can be changed. If the time and conditions make it necessary for them to change, they will definitely change. If we look at the Constitution, and if we find that certain parts of it could be changed, then it will be changed after taking in the desires of the people.
The proportion of the military seats in the parliament will most probably diminish in the future. In some countries of the world, there are both elected and non-elected members of the parliament. There is right now a debate in the parliament that it might be a good idea to put in non-elected members, such as intellectuals.
Khin Aung Myint said he was planning to call an extraordinary session of the national assembly to have the by-election winners sworn in as soon as possible.
It was the first interview given by Khin Aung Myint, either in Myanmar or abroad, since the National League for Democracy (NLD), an opposition party led by Aung San Suu Kyi, romped to a landslide victory in the April 1 by-elections.
Khin Aung Myint, Myanmar's Upper House speaker (Daisuke Furuta) The speakers of Myanmar's Upper and Lower houses take turns to serve as the speaker of the Assembly of the Union, which combines both chambers.
Khin Aung Myint is a former member of the military and is a senior member of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). He said he welcomed the NLD into the national assembly.
"Both the government and the parliament wish to see an all-inclusive parliament," he said.
Khin Aung Myint said he had met Aung San Suu Kyi on three previous occasions.
"On each of those occasions, we talked to each other frankly and openly almost like brother and sister," he said.
"All constitutions of the world can be changed," Khin Aung Myint said of a possible constitutional amendment, something the NLD has pledged to do. "If the time and conditions make it necessary for them to change, they will definitely change."
He also said that the provision that one-quarter of all national assembly seats be reserved for members of the military "will most probably diminish in the future," if that is what the people so desire.
Khin Aung Myint said discussions are continuing in the parliament on replacing the non-elected seat quota for members of the military with a similar quota for intellectuals.
The NLD won by-elections in all four constituencies in Naypyitaw, the country's capital, where government employees account for the bulk of inhabitants. "That is because we have grown up with love and respect for Gen. Aung San, the founder of the Myanmar army and the Myanmar nation, and because Aung San Suu Kyi is his daughter."
When asked about the possibility of hard-liners within the USDP trying to frustrate radical reforms, Khin Aung Myint said: "I do not think that such a scenario will happen. The minority will always follow the wishes of the majority (in the USDP)."
Although the former military government seldom expressed appreciation for the achievements of Gen. Aung San, Khin Aung Myint likened him to a father of the nation and said: "Since Aung San Suu Kyi is his daughter, in a sense we are brothers and sisters."
Excerpts from the interview follow:
***
Question: The national assembly by-elections ended in a landslide victory for the opposition National League for Democracy, whose candidates won all four seats in Naypyitaw, Myanmar's capital. How do you regard the outcome?
Khin Aung Myint: I welcome newcomers to the parliament. I am very pleased the elections were conducted without violence. I believe in the policy of inclusion.
In order to make sure that the new members are sworn in as soon as possible, I am thinking of ways to call an extraordinary session.
Most of the population in Naypyitaw are civil servants, and they are enamored of Myanmar. They all love Gen. Aung San, the founder of the Myanmar army and the Myanmar nation, and with that mentality they love Aung San Suu Kyi (who is his daughter and the NLD leader).
Since the NLD won even in Naypyitaw, we can proudly state that the government has not shown any bias, nor any other coercion, nor any other transgression of electoral votes.
Q: Do you think that the elections were free and fair?
A: I don't think that anyone will dispute that.
Q: The NLD boycotted the general election in 2010, and it has staged protests against the government from time to time. Do you believe that you can still cooperate with the NLD?
A: The Myanmar parliament has a very unique characteristic. There are at present 17 parties and independent members. And these parties, including the non-elected military members of the parliament, have always followed a policy of looking toward the benefit of the country ahead of the benefit of the party.
If you look at the Union Solidarity and Development Party, you will discover that, although many people say it is a ruling party, it is not a rubber stamp entity. It does not automatically approve of everything the government does, and it has frequently protested and voted against many government proposals.
If you look at the last session of the parliament, you will discover that, when it came to the question of releasing political prisoners, the military members of the parliament supported it 100 percent. And furthermore, the move to cut away at the budget expenditures proposed by the government was headed by the USDP.
Therefore, since Aung San Suu Kyi herself has declared that she will always choose the benefit of the country ahead of the benefit of the party, she believes that (we) can work (together).
I have met Aung San Suu Kyi three times. On each of those occasions, we talked to each other frankly and openly almost like brother and sister.
Q: It is sometimes reported that there are hard-liners and reform-oriented parliamentarians within the same (ruling) party.
A: In every political party in the world, you will find a variety of opinions in many different countries. But the USDP is a united party, and the minority will always follow the wishes of the majority.
Q: What is your opinion on an amendment to the Constitution (that is called for by the NLD)? Do you still need 25 percent of all seats (to be reserved for members of the military)?
A: All constitutions of the world can be changed. If the time and conditions make it necessary for them to change, they will definitely change. If we look at the Constitution, and if we find that certain parts of it could be changed, then it will be changed after taking in the desires of the people.
The proportion of the military seats in the parliament will most probably diminish in the future. In some countries of the world, there are both elected and non-elected members of the parliament. There is right now a debate in the parliament that it might be a good idea to put in non-elected members, such as intellectuals.
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