SUU KYI and NLD FINALLY ENTER PARLIAMENT

Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy elected Members of Parliament took their seats in parliament following a week’s delay due to dispute over the parliamentary admission oath in the constitution.

U Nyan Win spoke person for NLD said that their turnaround decision to take the oath and join the parliament is based on two reasons.

Speaking to Karen News U Nyan Win said.
“Our supporters want the NLD to join the parliament. They want us to be in the parliament. They worry that we are not in the parliament. So, we won’t let them down. The second reason is that MPs from 16 ethnic parties in parliament, want us to solve our dispute later. That’s why we made our decision to join the parliament.”

U Nyan Win added that by joining parliament before getting the government’s agreement to change the contentious wording in the constitution doesn’t mean the NLD has given up. He said the NLD will continue to push for the changes according to the laws and procedures.

Ko Myint Kyaw, an editor of Yangon Press International said that it was a good decision by the NLD to join the parliament and to try to create change in parliament.

“If this problem [dispute over the parliamentary admission oath] is an important issue for the NLD, the issue should have been brought up before the election. When the issue is brought up after winning the election, people, especially NLD supporters who voted to see the NLD in the parliament, are feeling uneasy. The NLD have now made the right decision – they should have made this decision from the start.”

Central executive members of the NLD met last Sunday at their head office where they have made the decision to enter parliament. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD chairperson told reporters that they will do the swearing-in on Tuesday, May 2 and will join the parliament on Wednesday.

Suu Kyi says there are many changes needed, especially the parliamentary admission oath.

The NLD won 43 seats out of 44 constituencies they contested in Burma’s by-elections held on April 1. On April 20, NLD announced they would not be taking their seats in parliament over the constitutional oath
they then boycotted their first parliament session on April 23.