Parliament to convene mid January: USDP lawmaker-elect

Thursday, 06 January 2011 13:54 Ko Wild

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The People’s Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw) will convene in mid January according to Khin Shwe, law-maker elected to the national assembly from the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

“It will be held around January 14, but the date is not official".

The National Assembly (Amyotha Hluttaw) must be convened seven days after the People’s Assembly, Khin Shwe told Mizzima yesterday.

The 2008 Constitution says the first regular session of the Union Parliament (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw) comprising both houses, must be held 15 days from the first session of the People’s Assembly.

USDP candidate Khin Shwe won a national assembly seat for Rangoon division constituency 9 which covers the townships of Twante, Kawhmu and Kunchangone.

Khin Shwe had said during his campaign that areas of Burma could only be developed if people voted for a USDP government.

USDP won 74 per cent of parliamentary seats in the recent election amongst widespread allegations of vote rigging. Numerous complaints of electoral fraud were made to the Electoral Commission.

United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said the elections were “insufficiently inclusive, participatory and transparent”.

Despite controversy over the election, Khin Shwe is forging ahead with development plans for Twante, Kawhmu, Kunchankone, Dala, and Dedaye Townships which included widening roads links with Rangoon.

Khin Shwe, a well-known businessman, owns the Zaygabar Company Limited.

He explained that the Crown Wire Company would transfer road construction projects to his company, and that he was already collecting construction materials.

“We already have paving stones and tar, and will order machinery soon. We will resurface and widen the roads about four feet in each lane. At the moment cars cannot drive in parallel directions. We want to complete the project before the monsoon”, Khin Shwe said.

The project is estimated to cost from one to two billion kyat (approximately US$1-2 million).

A road tax would not be collected during the resurfacing and widening works, according to Khin Shwe, but was likely after completion.

The USDP held a meeting in Naypyidaw on December 21 and 22, 2010 where party and current Prime Minister Thein Sein outlined its legislative programme, however no official announcements have been made about the parliamentary dates and agendas.

According to 2008 Constitution, which was drafted following a 14-year long convention, where delegates were handpicked by the ruling military junta, the Union Parliament (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw) is made up of two houses.

The People’s Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw) consists of 440 representatives serving five-year terms. One quarter are Defence Services personnel appointed by the Commander-in-Chief.

The National Assembly (Amyotha Hluttaw) consists of 224 representatives also with five-year terms, comprising elected representatives from 12 State or Divisions, as well as one representative from the one Self-Administered Division and five Self-Administered Zones. Defence Services personnel are allocated 56 seats by the Commander-in-Chief.

A parliament has not sat in Burma since 1988.