Military must assist us in amending constitution, says NLD’s Nyan Win

Burmese military leaders should be prepared to assist the process of amending the constitution as and when various points arise during political negotiations, said the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) central executive committee member Nyan Win.

His comment came following the president’s speech on 18 April as part of the traditional New Year’s message of greetings to the nation. President Htin Kyaw said that the work the government is doing with regard to the constitution is “of a very delicate and sensitive nature,” and that “we have to work with extra care and focused attention in every aspect of the work.”

Nyan Win said the president was not talking about redrafting the entire constitution, contrary to what many might think.

However, when asked about progress to date on constitutional reform, Nyan Win declined to respond, only saying that now was not the time to reveal those details.

Burma’s current constitution was written in 2008 by a military-backed panel, and passed at a national referendum derided by many observers as fraudulent. Among the many controversial clauses in the charter is a series of provisions enshrining a powerful role for the military within parliament, including 25 percent of all seats in both upper and lower houses and each state assembly.

Read more about Burma’s constitutional crisis