Myanmar Upper House picks Speaker
The Upper House has reconvened in Nay Pyi Taw and elected Mahn Win Khaing Than of the National League for Democracy (NLD) as its Speaker and Aye Tha Aung of the Arakan National Party (ANP) as its deputy.
Chin national Zone Hle Htan chaired the session.
Mahn Win Khaing Than is a grandson of Mahn Ba Khaing, who was assassinated with other ministers alongside General Aung San in 1947. He represents Kayin No.8 constituency.
He said: “As a Kayin national, I would like to express special thanks to all lawmakers for putting your trust in me. I promise all of you I will perform my assigned duties in accord with the law.”
MPs said that the selection of ethnic minority MPs as the Speaker and deputy might help the peace process, emergence of a federal union and the rights of other nationalities.
J Yaw Wu, an Upper House MP from the National Unity Party, said: “The selection of two ethnic minority MPs makes a clear difference from the previous parliament. This is the first step towards a federal system. Myanmar will develop if a federal system can be installed during five years. I assume that it will be successful. We need decentralisation.”
Kyaw Than from the ANP said: “[NLD chairperson] Aung San Suu Kyi has talked about equal rights for all national groups. I hope she will implement it.”
Apart from Soe Thane, minister for the President's Office from Kayah Constituency No.9, all 223 Upper House MPs attended the session.
Tin Oo, patron of the NLD, Suu Kyi and former Union Parliament Speaker Thura Shwe Mann attended as observers.
Win Myint, a central executive committee member of the NLD, was elected Lower House Speaker and T Khun Myat of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) as the deputy Speaker.
Attending the Upper House opening were 135 NLD MPs, 11 USDP MPs, 10 from the ANP, three from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, two each from the Zomi Democracy Party and the Palaung National Party, one each from the Mon National Party, National Unity Party and Pa-O National Organisation, two independent MPs and 56 military representatives.
The regional and state parliamentary sessions commence on February 8.
Related news: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/aec/NLDs-MP-appointed-Myanmars-lower-house-speaker-30278371.html
