Ministers resign CEC positions

Ministers resign CEC positions

By Win Ko Ko Latt   |   Monday, 01 July 2013

Members of the government have resigned from their positions in the Union Solidarity and Development Party's central executive committee, a senior party official said last week.

USDP members at the party's first national assembly in Nay Pyi Taw in October 2012. Photo: Christopher Davy

Central executive committee member U Hla Swe said the resignations were prompted by the possibility of impeachment rather than any internal dispute.

He said ministers U Soe Thein, U Aung Min and U Tin Naing Thein resigned after U Win Myint, the National League for Democracy's lower house representative for Pathein, submitted a proposal to clarify the section of the constitution that says members of the government cannot be involved in party activities.

"A number of senior members resigned from their positions, including Minister for Cooperatives U Kyaw Hsan, who was formerly a secretary," U Hla Swe told The Myanmar Times last week.

"They were not fired because of any clash between [President] U Thein Sein and [Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker] Thura U Shwe Mann. I think it was because they were worried about being impeached by the Constitutional Tribunal," he said.

"I told our party's central executive committee [that members of the government] should not be given any responsibilities because they cannot take part in party affairs."

Section 64 of the constitution forbids the president and vice presidents from taking part in party activities, while ministers are forbidden under section 232(k).

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/07/02/ministers-resign-cec-positions/