February 11, 2016

Suu Kyi–the next Myanmar president

When Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory late last year in Myanmar’s first national vote since a nominally civilian government was allowed to work in 2011, ending nearly 50 years of military rule, the world expected the country’s democracy icon to finally take the helm of government. That’s because her party will control the next parliament and can choose the next president.

As things stand, however, Suu Kyi can’t become president. Article 59 (F) of the Myanmar constitution states that if one of your “legitimate children…owes allegiance to a foreign power” you are disqualified. That covers both Suu Kyi’s sons Kim and Alexander, who carry British passports. Her long-shot chance is to change this provision of the country’s basic law. But changing the constitution is impossible without the support of the unelected army representatives. (Courtesy of Business Mirror)

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