No change to USDP policy at meeting

No change to USDP policy at meeting

By Win Ko Ko Latt   |   Monday, 01 July 2013

The Union Solidarity and Development Party concluded its first major meeting since its October 2012 national conference without formalising any new policies.

About 300 members, including 44 from the party's central executive committee, gathered in Nay Pyi Taw from June 22 to 24, ahead of the opening of the seventh session of parliament on June 25.

The meeting heard expert analyses on a number of key political topics, including the constitution, proportional representation and federalism.

Speaking at a press conference on June 24, vice chairman U Htay Oo said policy decisions on proportional representation would be made at a later date by the central committee in the "interest of the nation and the citizens".

U Htay Oo said the discussion on federalism and the constitution had yielded no results either.

"In terms of the constitution, we have to amend it if is necessary but we will not amend it if it is unnecessary. We do not yet know what points need to change," he said.

Since the military coup of 1962 the government has described federalism as a type of secession but during his recent trip to the United States Thura U Shwe Mann said this had been a "wrong understanding".

U Htay Oo said the USDP did "not totally equate federalism with secession".

U Htay Oo said it was "too early to comment" on another comment Thura U Shwe Mann made in the US – that the USDP could form a coalition with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.

Translated by Zar Zar Soe

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/07/02/no-change-to-usdp-policy-at-meeting/