Thousands greet Daw Suu for petition campaign launch in the capital

Thousands greet Daw Suu for petition campaign launch in the capital

By Hsu Hlaing Htun and Tim McLaughlin   |   Monday, 02 June 2014

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi brought her calls for constitutional change to the nation's capital, launching a petition campaign in Nay Pyi Taw that will push for an amendment to section 436 and could in turn allow for more sweeping reforms.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi speaks at a rally in Pobbathiri township, Nay Pyi Taw, on May 27. (Hsu Hlaing Htun/The Myanmar Times)

The National League for Democracy leader, who was recently warned by the Union Election Commission (UEC) over her comments on the military's veto power, was met by thousands of enthusiastic supporters, many wearing anti-section 436 T-shirts, at five speaking stops around the capital.

"The existing constitution was drafted without wishes of people. So it needs to change," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said at the day's first stop, in Ottarathiri township.

About 1000 people gathered later in the day under a large tree in front of the NLD office in Pobbathiri township to hear Daw Aung San Suu Kyi speak for around 15 minutes. The opposition leader exchanged banter with supporters, drawing laughs from the crowd and urging changes to the constitution that she said would be necessary for a genuine democracy.

The petition campaign is a joint initiative of the NLD and 88 Generation student group that aims to build public support for amending section 436, which sets the threshold for changes to the constitution at 75 percent. The military's control of 25pc of the seats in parliament guarantees the Tatmadaw the power to veto any proposed change.

Amending section 436 is seen as crucial first step in clearing the way for further changes, including to section 59(f), which currently bars Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from being eligible for the presidency.

"Whatever commitments to reform have been made, I believe that this is an inauthentic democracy because even the desire of the people, which is fundamental to a country, can't overpower its constitution," she said in Ottarathiri. 

The NLD rallies in Nay Pyi Taw came shortly after the UEC sent a letter to the party warning that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's challenge to the Tatmadaw to amend the constitution, made at a May 18 rally in Mandalay, came close to violating her parliamentary oath, which states that MPs must "uphold and abide by the constitution".

The notice from the UEC, which was posted by an NLD member on Facebook on May 26, said she was "speaking outside of the boundaries of the Constitution". The warning was signed by commission secretary U Tin Tun.

In Nay Pyi Taw, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi appeared unfazed by the warning and urged members of the military to sign the petition if they supported genuine democracy.

"Soldiers are civil servants as well. So I would like to call them to enthusiastically sign in the petition to support to our campaign," she said.

 

"I want to live peacefully. But we are struggling now because the situation requires it. We will try to seek desires of the people outside the parliament as much as we can and then we will complete the constitutional amendment inside the parliament," she said.

The NLD's campaign is not without its opponents. While the rally took place in Nay Pyi Taw's Zabuthiri township on May 27, a group of about 10  protesters from the rival Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) demonstrated nearby.

Protest leader U Maung Maung Tun Win, who is also chairman of a cooperative society in the township's Aung Chan Thar ward, said changing section 436 would be "dangerous" for the country's future.

"Many non-citizens are gradually entering the country. You can see a noticeable amount of illegal Muslims in Rakhine State. They want to change section 59(f) so they can take over the presidency of our country," one protester said.

The petition drive kicked off 24 years to the day after the 1990 elections to form a Constituent Assembly, which was to draft a constitution, the first step in a transfer of power from the ruling military. The NLD won the election in a landslide, capturing 392 out of 492 seats that were contested, however the government never honoured the results. They were formally annulled in March 2010.

The NLD's petition campaign will run until July 12. Collected signatures will then be submitted to parliament.

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2014/06/03/thousands-greet-daw-suu-for-petition-campaign-launch-in-the-capital/