Myanmar: Testing political acumen

[This article was written on April 21, 2011; since then, Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD members have been sworn in as members of parliament. The article is reproduced here courtesy South Asia Magazine, May 2012 issue which carries it]

Testing Political Acumen

Emerging victorious, Aung San Suu Kyi has created quite an impression in Myanmar and beyond. But how much political refinement will she need before she is ready to face the real battle for democracy?

By Col R Hariharan (retd)

Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi who had been leading the struggle for democracy led the National League for Democracy (NLD) to a resounding victory in the recent parliamentary by-elections in Myanmar. The re-entry of Suu Kyi and the NLD in Myanmar politics opens a new chapter in the troubled history of this nation.Undoubtedly, Suu Kyi’s charismatic leadership and tremendous popularity bagged 44 of the 45 seats for the NLD.

Myanmar: Fast forward to democracy

By Col. R. Hariharan 

The decision of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) to register as a “legitimate” political party may well become a turning point in Myanmar’s history. The NLD under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi had been at the vanguard of peoples struggle for democratic reforms during the last two and a half decades. The NLD applied for registration as a political party on November 23 as per the requirements of electoral laws. The 21 NLD signatories of the application included three founders of NLD – Aung San Suu Kyi, former General Tin Oo, and Win Tin. 

The NLD was de-recognized as a political party after it refused to re-register as a political party as required by the electoral laws for 2010 elections. It had boycotted the 2010 elections as it considered both the 2008 Constitution and the electoral laws unjust.  

Myanmar’s chances for ASEAN chairmanship brighten

By Col. R. Hariharan 

Myanmar President Thein Sein must be rejoicing at the visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa’s comment that political reforms in Myanmar looked "irreversible." Reuters quoted the Indonesian Minister as saying, “I wish to believe and I get the sense that they are meant to be irreversible. I did not get any indication that the process will stop.” 

According to the report he said he had urged Myanmar's leaders to release more political prisoners and take greater steps to reconcile with restive ethnic groups. He expected progress in these areas before the country assumes the chair of ASEAN. 

Myanmar's quest for democracy

By Col R Hariharan (Retd.)

INTRODUCTION

Myanmar’s newly elected parliament under the 2008 Constitution had its first session on January 31, 2011. In the political history of Myanmar, it marks a new milestone; however, its impact on Myanmar’s quest for democracy remains an open question. Despite the limitations in transferring political power to peoples’ representatives imposed by the 2008 Constitution, a new element – limited civilian rule - has now been introduced after continuous military dictatorship for 22 years.

The 2008 Constitution has a lot of democratic veneer. There is bicameral Union Assembly (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw) consisting of the 440-member lower house - ‘House of Representatives (Pyithu Hluttaw)’ and the 224-member upper house - ‘House of Nationalities (Amyotha Hluttaw).’ All the 14 regions or states have their own assemblies. Despite this the constitution designed by the ruling junta can hardly be called a democratic one in its present form. Only 330 of the 440-seat lower house are filled by elected civilian members; similarly only 168 out of 224 seats of upper house will be filled by civilians. Military officials would be occupying the rest (25 percent) of the seats.