Regardless of decisions to amend the 2008 Constitution, the issue surrounding constitutional amendment will not affect the progress of nationwide ceasefire talks, said Nai Hongsar, leader of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT).
“The truth is that the constitution was drawn by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) government. [As] it was drawn by the military government, the military army does not want to amend it. On our side, at this time, in order to sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement, we [the NCCT] [must] first have talks [regarding the issue]. We cannot yet [engage in talks] for the constitutional amendment. After signing the ceasefire, when we hold political talks, [then] we will talk about the constitution amendment. So, [constitutional amendment] has [no bearing] on signing a nationwide ceasefire agreement,” said Nai Hongsar, in an interview with IMNA.
The people of Burma do not agree that the Constitution shall only be amended after the 2015 general elections, and are pushing for constitutional reform now. The government will not allow the amendment of the Constitution, or its most critical articles. Nai Hongsar, who also serves as vice-chairman of the New Mon State Party (NMSP), states that the government is using the discord surrounding constitutional amendment as a method to delay nationwide ceasefire talks.
Speaker of Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Thura U Shwe Mann announced at a press conference held in Nay Pyi Taw earlier this week that a public campaign for constitutional amendment will held in May before the 2015 elections, with constitutional amendment voted upon by newly elected Hluttaw representatives, in respect to results from May campaigns.
Although a committee calling for amendment of the 2008 Constitution before 2015 elections proposed constitutional amendments, the Pyidaungsu [Union] Hluttaw [Parliament] rejected the committee’s proposals, stating that the 2015 elections will be contested in accordance with the 2008 Constitution.
“There is a lot to amend [in] the 2008 Constitution”, continued Nai Hongsar, “The main thing is that the army takes [a certain number of] seats [as specified] in the Constitution. So, it is not a democratic system. Another point is that the Constitution [recognizes itself to be] under the name of the Union, but, there is no separation of powers for states and divisions.”
