Myanmar to declare new President on March 17
Myanmar media reported that Aung San Suu Kyi could get the top post as they predicted 'positive results' from the ongoing negotiations between her party and the military.
Myanmar Parliament chairman Mann Win Khaing Than on Monday announced that the upper house, the lower House and the military will have to select its President and two vice-presidents and submit their names on March 17, reported PTI.
Local media organisations have been reporting that veteran leader Aung San Suu Kyi could become Myanmar's president after all, even though she is barred from doing so a present. The veteran leader's National League for Democracy party is in talks with Myanmar's military chief to suspend the Constitution's Article 59 (f), which says anyone with a foreign spouse or children cannot hold the executive office. Under the existing law, Suu Kyi whose party won a landslide victory in November 2015 cannot become president as her late husband was British, as are her two sons. The NLD cannot remove the clause on its own as that will require two-thirds vote in Parliament, where the military alone holds 25% of the nominated seats, reported PTI.
Sky Net and Myanmar National Television, both known for their pro-government views, said that "positive results" could come out of the ongoing negotiations. "The negotiations will be positive for our leader Aung San Suu Kyi to become president," said Kyaw Htwe, member of NLD's Central Committee. The 70-year-old Nobel laureate had previously said that even if she doesn't become the president she would run the country from behind the scenes.