Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the opposition in Myanmar, held a news conference on Tuesday at the Parliament building in Naypyidaw, the capital. Credit Nyein Chan Naing/European Pressphoto Agency YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar’s opposition leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, said Tuesday that turmoil within the country’s governing party had bolstered her relationship with the party’s ousted chairman. Speaking to reporters as Parliament resumed for a final session before national elections in November, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, reaffirmed that Thura Shwe Mann, who was removed last week as chairman of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, was an ally. “Now the picture is clearer as to who is a friend and an enemy, and our relationship with our allies is stronger,” she told reporters in Naypyidaw, the capital. She said that her party, the National League for Democracy, would “work with the ally.” Mr. Shwe Mann, the speaker of the lower house of Parliament, said in an opening speech that lawmakers should keep internal party problems out of the chambers. He also denied any responsibility for the governing party’s divisions. Continue reading the main story Related Coverage “I didn’t do anything wrong on the party unity,” he said. Mr. Shwe Mann, a former top official in the junta that ruled Myanmar until 2011, was removed from his party post amid talk of a rivalry with President Thein Sein and of a possible effort to thwart aspirations by Mr. Shwe Mann to become president himself. The vote in November is seen as a crucial step in Myanmar’s democratization process, with the United States and other observers watching for any signs of the former junta pushing to reclaim its onetime powers. Mr. Shwe Mann faces continuing political pressure, including an effort to pass an impeachment law that could be used against him. The law would allow the recall of members of Parliament who lost the support of just 1 percent of their constituents. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi spoke out against the proposal on Tuesday. “I don’t think it is right that 1 percent of voters could recall an M.P.,” she told reporters. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi met with Mr. Shwe Mann for an hour Monday morning, and they met again Tuesday afternoon. Although neither side revealed details of the meetings, observers said future cooperation between the two was likely to have been the main topic. At least one political commentator, U Yan Myo Thein, was skeptical about the fruits of that cooperation, however. “Daw Suu’s making alliance with Thura Shwe Mann is like she is betting on the wrong horse,” he said. “Because he is not a decision maker.” Source link

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the opposition in Myanmar, held a news conference on Tuesday at the Parliament building in Naypyidaw, the capital.

Credit
Nyein Chan Naing/European Pressphoto Agency

YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar’s opposition leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, said Tuesday that turmoil within the country’s governing party had bolstered her relationship with the party’s ousted chairman.

Speaking to reporters as Parliament resumed for a final session before national elections in November, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, reaffirmed that Thura Shwe Mann, who was removed last week as chairman of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, was an ally.

“Now the picture is clearer as to who is a friend and an enemy, and our relationship with our allies is stronger,” she told reporters in Naypyidaw, the capital. She said that her party, the National League for Democracy, would “work with the ally.”

Mr. Shwe Mann, the speaker of the lower house of Parliament, said in an opening speech that lawmakers should keep internal party problems out of the chambers. He also denied any responsibility for the governing party’s divisions.

Continue reading the main story

Related Coverage

“I didn’t do anything wrong on the party unity,” he said.

Mr. Shwe Mann, a former top official in the junta that ruled Myanmar until 2011, was removed from his party post amid talk of a rivalry with President Thein Sein and of a possible effort to thwart aspirations by Mr. Shwe Mann to become president himself. The vote in November is seen as a crucial step in Myanmar’s democratization process, with the United States and other observers watching for any signs of the former junta pushing to reclaim its onetime powers.

Mr. Shwe Mann faces continuing political pressure, including an effort to pass an impeachment law that could be used against him. The law would allow the recall of members of Parliament who lost the support of just 1 percent of their constituents.

Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi spoke out against the proposal on Tuesday. “I don’t think it is right that 1 percent of voters could recall an M.P.,” she told reporters.

Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi met with Mr. Shwe Mann for an hour Monday morning, and they met again Tuesday afternoon.

Although neither side revealed details of the meetings, observers said future cooperation between the two was likely to have been the main topic.

At least one political commentator, U Yan Myo Thein, was skeptical about the fruits of that cooperation, however.

“Daw Suu’s making alliance with Thura Shwe Mann is like she is betting on the wrong horse,” he said. “Because he is not a decision maker.”

Source link