Editorial: ‘Young’ Myanmar Still Needs Strong Military Role, Says Army Chief

By Prashanth Parameswaran

Comments reinforce worries that reduced military control is unlikely anytime soon.

Myanmar is not ready for a reduced military role in parliament, its military chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, told Channel NewsAsia in an exclusive interview published January 20.

The country’s constitution, under section 436, currently mandates 25 percent military representation in parliament. That, along with a 75 percent majority requirement for any constitutional amendments to be approved, essentially gives the military a veto in the legislature. The opposition National League for Democracy, led by democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as international observers have been calling for constitutional changes ahead of Myanmar’s general election in the last quarter of 2015.

But the comments by Min Aung Hlaing, the powerful commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and a potential presidential contender, reinforce existing doubts among some that the army will loosen its hold on the country anytime soon.

“It’s been only about four years. We are still a young democracy. When we are moving towards a multi-party democratic system it needs to be a strong system,” Min Aung Hlaing told the Singapore-based news agency. 

Read the full story at The Diplomat