Friday, March 25, 2011

Parliamentary questions and motions leaked to media are rejected

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Friday, 25 March 2011 12:54 Myo Thant

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The Upper House speaker of the Burmese Parliament is rejecting all questions and motions submitted by members of Parliament which have been leaked to the media before being given to members.

A view of the new Burmese Parliament complex in
Naypyidaw, the capital. Photo : MRTV
A MP told Mizzima that speaker Khin Aung Myint said the questions and motions may be relevant, but they will rejected if they are made public beforehand.

Parliamentary rules require MPs to submit all motions and questions 10-days in advance to the office of the deputy director general of Parliament. Questions and motions which are approved are sent to all MPs in the respective houses one day in advance of when they will be heard.

Parliamentary rules forbid disclosing any proposed motions and questions before they are approved and distributed.

MPs in the Lower House said they have not had any problems over the submissions of questions and motions prior to discussion.

In Thursday’s joint session of Parliament, Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Htay Oo introduced a motion to oppose economic sanctions imposed on Burma. The motion will be discussed on Friday.

Opposition party MP Khin Maung Yee of the National Democratic Force (NDF) said his party supported lifting the sanctions. ‘Now the motion to be discussed is opposing such sanctions, not lifting the sanctions. So we have no reason to take part in this discussion’, he said.

A motion moved by MP Myat Nyarna Soe to build more special economic zones was defeated by 400 votes against and 129 votes for.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party MP and Ministry of Industry (1) Minister Aung Thaug raised a question as to whether the government had any plan to provide a stipend to students. Education Minister Dr. Chan Nyein replied that the government was providing stipends to more than 1,500 students per year.

In reply to a question, Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Htay Oo said that the government would take action against the production of inferior quality fertilizers.

The first session of the Burmese Parliament will likely be dissolved at the end of this month. Portfolios are expected to be handed over to newly elected ministers on March 30. The new fiscal year begins April 1.

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