By Shawn W. Crispin
Recent developments have thrown a spanner in the works.
The removal of parliamentary speaker Shwe Mann as leader of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) aims to smooth rising ructions inside Myanmar’s military establishment ahead of pivotal parliamentary elections scheduled for November 8.
Shwe Mann was poised to run for president on the military-backed party’s ticket and was tipped by many analysts to lead a potential coalition “unity” government with the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) if, as likely, neither wins an outright majority at the polls.
Instead, his fall will open the way for incumbent President Thein Sein to seek another term as nominal national leader and diminish the chances of any political union with the Aung San Suu Kyi-led NLD. Ahead of the purge, Thein Sein was coy about his political intentions in a July 29 Nikkei Asian Review interview, where the ex-general stated his intention to continue reforms but would not confirm if he planned to contest the presidency. He said he would decide based on “the country’s situation, the prevailing circumstances, and wishes of the people.”
The prevailing circumstances have since shifted dramatically. Shwe Mann and party secretary general Maung Maung Thein were removed from their posts at a Wednesday evening meeting at the USDP’s Naypyidaw headquarters, according to news reports. USDP vice-chairman Htay Oo, a Thein Sein ally, led the meeting at which he assumed the party’s chairmanship; Tin Naing Thein, one of Thein Sein’s trusted aides, resigned as president’s office minister to become secretary general, the reports said. It was not clear if Shwe Mann was also ousted as parliament speaker, though if history is a guide his placement into virtual house arrest augurs ill for his political future.
Read the full story at The Diplomat