缅甸第九届议会会议在内比都重新召开
Myanmar's parliament sessions are due to be reconvened later on Monday in Nay Pyi Taw with two separate sessions of the two Houses to take place first in the morning, while the session of the Union Parliament comprising both houses to be followed in the afternoon.
The 9th parliament sessions came nearly two months after the end of the 8th sessions on November 15, 2013.
The present sessions are to discuss on state budget bill for 2014-15 fiscal year (April-March), state budget bill-2014 and taxation bill-2014, law withdrawing parliament representatives, special economic zone law, taxation law, court-monitoring law and media law among over 30 bills, parliament sources said.
Besides these, the sessions are also expected to touch on constitution amendment issue put forward by a 109-member Constitution Review Joint Committee.
With regard to the issue, the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, has been seeking public opinion polling in a number of regions since recent months, in which the majority of the people supported amendment of the existing 2008 Constitution for a free and fair 2015 general election.
The NLD has sent suggestions to the committee on amending 168 points from all 15 chapters of the constitution except one, including an article 59-f that blocks Suu Kyi from becoming president or vice president.
The point is also included in the 73 provisions for amendment and 21 provisions for abolition raised by the ruling party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in its constitutional amendment proposal presented to the parliamentary committee.
The USDP also proposed among others that "constitutional amendment can be made with 75 percent of affirmative vote of the parliament".
Moreover, the NLD has also sent a proposal to the president calling for a quartet talks involving Aung San Suu Kyi, the government, the parliament and the military for amendment of the 2008 constitution.
With regard to the constitutional amendment issue, President U Thein Sein has expressed support, emphasizing the need to amend the provision on the qualification of the political leadership of the country and holding that he would not want restrictions being imposed on the right of any citizen to become the leader of the country.
According to the 2008 constitution, the amendment needs the consent of more than 75 percent of the parliament members, followed by more than 50 percent approval in a nationwide referendum.
During the last 8th session, which lasted for six weeks from October 1 to November 15, the parliament mainly passed, among others, a new communications law, law protecting the rights of farmers, 2013- 14 additional budget law, law amending the maritime university law and Myanmar Engineering Council Law.
Aimed at promoting the telecommunication sector of the country, the Communications Law grants foreign telecom companies to operate in the country for up to 20 years.
Meanwhile, the government took a move to release all remaining political prisoners at the end of 2013 as promised.
President U Thein Sein reiterated his welcome of last October's peace conference in Laiza, Kachin state of leaders of ethnic armed groups, which was held to pave way for the expected signing of nationwide ceasefire agreement with the government and initiation of political dialogue process between the government and the armed groups.
Myanmar has been in a process of democratic reform since the new civilian government, headed by President U Thein Sein, took office in March 2011 after a multi-party general election held in November 2010.
