Changes likely after ensuing quarterly meet

by Mungpi
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 18:48

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Burma’s military generals are gearing up to hold their top quarterly meeting in the third and fourth week of this month, sources in Naypyidaw said.

The quarterly meeting is likely to be held from November 22 to 28 after Senior General Than Shwe returns from his good will trip to Sri Lanka. And the changes will only be just about apparent after the meeting, sources said.

Burmese analysts agree that the ensuing meeting of the top military brass is significant as the generals have to decide on the details of their planned 2010 elections, including reappointing of cabinet ministers and allowing old ministers to retire so as to allow them to run for office in the elections.

“Most commanders do not want to be promoted to minister or to join the cabinet as they feel that their role as active military commanders is much more secure than a temporary cabinet minister’s post,” Aung Kyaw Zaw, an analyst based on the Sino-Burma border said.

The re-shuffled cabinet would act as an interim government that will see the electoral process through and would have limited functions, sources said. The new cabinet, however, will be limited to only about six to eight ministers while currently Burma has 35 ministerial portfolios.

“It is likely that the junta will announce the electoral law after the meeting,” Aung Kyaw Zaw said.

The Burmese military junta, officially known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), regularly holds quarterly meetings to decide on important military as well as administrative matters.

“As far as I know, the junta has so far held one Quarterly meeting for 2009 in April. And it is possible that they will hold the next meeting in late November,” Win Min, a Burmese analyst based in Chiang Mai, told Mizzima.

Win Min said with several military generals planning to run for office in the 2010 elections they will need to be replaced.

Sources close to the regime said that the constituencies for the military candidates have been decided.

Moreover, the authorities are looking for respectable civilians to contest the elections.