Influential parliamentarians say a National League for Democracy petition is likely to be taken into account by MPs when they consider constitutional reform.
The comments contradict Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann’s assertion earlier this month that the committee drafting a constitutional amendment bill will take no notice of the petition campaign.
The campaign to amend section 436 was launched by the NLD and 88 Generation in May and a petition calling for the removal of the military’s veto over the constitutional change had attracted more than 3.3 million signatures by the end of June. Signatures will continue to be accepted until July 19, when the nation will mark Martyrs’ Day.
Members of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw’s Constitution Amendment Implementation Committee and the Pyithu Hluttaw Legislative, Judicial Affairs and Complaints, Letters and Petitions Scrutinizing Committee said both bodies would accept and discuss the petition when it is submitted.
“When it is submitted, we will hold a meeting to discuss it and decide how we should proceed," said Union Solidarity and Development Party member U Myint Tun, who is secretary of the lower house body.
Constitution Amendment Implementation Committee member U Aung Kyi Nyunt, an Amyotha Hluttaw representative from the National League for Democracy, said the committee would not discuss the petition until it has been submitted.
“The committee will discuss it but only then can a decision on [the petition] be made," he said.
“For the moment, the committee does not have any plan to deal with it. But I hope that the committee could possibly convey a message about the petition to the parliament,” he added.
The comments contradict those made by Thura U Shwe at a press conference on July 3, when the speaker said, “The NLD is running [the 436 campaign] based on its own desire but its actions will not influence the activities of the Constitutional Amendment Implementation Committee.”
While the extent of the petition’s impact on the committee’s future activities remains unclear, U Aung Kyi Nyunt said he and the other NLD representative on the Constitution Amendment Implementation Committee have already put forward the party’s views on constitutional change.
“Even if the majority of committee members do not agree with [our] suggestions, the committee will still submit these suggestions to parliament,” he said.
The 31-member Constitutional Amendment Implementing Committee was formed on February 3 to implement the findings of a 108-member review committee that submitted its final report to parliament on January 31.
On February 18, Thura U Shwe Mann instructed the committee to submit a bill to amend the constitution to parliament no less than six months before elections scheduled for late 2015.
The speaker told MPs that the committee should make chapter 12 of the constitution, which outlines the process for amending the document and includes section 436, its top priority.
The committee comprises 14 USDP representatives, seven military personnel, two NLD members and one representative from eight other parties.
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/10958-petition-will-be-discussed-by-constitution-committee-mps.html
No comments: