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| Myanmar brings forward date for presidential nominations Myanmar brings forward date for presidential nominations | |
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| Myanmar will announce presidential nominations on 10 March, the speaker of its upper house of parliament has said, shortening the time Aung San Suu Kyi has to negotiate her way to the country’s highest office. | Myanmar will announce presidential nominations on 10 March, the speaker of its upper house of parliament has said, shortening the time Aung San Suu Kyi has to negotiate her way to the country’s highest office. |
| The leader of the National League for Democracy is barred from becoming president under a junta-drafted constitution that prevents the top job from going to anyone with foreign children. She has two British sons. | The leader of the National League for Democracy is barred from becoming president under a junta-drafted constitution that prevents the top job from going to anyone with foreign children. She has two British sons. |
| But since the NLD won a large majority in the November elections, Aung San Suu Kyi has been negotiating with the military to find a way around that clause. | But since the NLD won a large majority in the November elections, Aung San Suu Kyi has been negotiating with the military to find a way around that clause. |
| That the nomination date has been brought forward by a week suggests there has been no deal, observers say. | That the nomination date has been brought forward by a week suggests there has been no deal, observers say. |
| “We are going to hold the meetings … for MPs to be able to elect the president and vice-presidents on 10 March, Thursday, a week earlier than was previously announced,” Win Khaing Than, speaker of Myanmar’s houses of parliament, told legislators on Tuesday. | “We are going to hold the meetings … for MPs to be able to elect the president and vice-presidents on 10 March, Thursday, a week earlier than was previously announced,” Win Khaing Than, speaker of Myanmar’s houses of parliament, told legislators on Tuesday. |
| Aung San Suu Kyi has vowed that if she cannot be president she will form a government in which she is “above the president”. | Aung San Suu Kyi has vowed that if she cannot be president she will form a government in which she is “above the president”. |
| Her parliamentary majority allows her to handpick a successor to the current president, Thein Sein, a former general who implemented reforms in 2011, moving the country away from dictatorship. | Her parliamentary majority allows her to handpick a successor to the current president, Thein Sein, a former general who implemented reforms in 2011, moving the country away from dictatorship. |
| An NLD spokesman, Win Htein, said on Tuesday that the party still planned an Aung San Suu Kyi presidency. | An NLD spokesman, Win Htein, said on Tuesday that the party still planned an Aung San Suu Kyi presidency. |
| “Aung San Suu Kyi must become the president … it just depends on whether it is earlier or later,” he told reporters in the capital, Naypyidaw. | “Aung San Suu Kyi must become the president … it just depends on whether it is earlier or later,” he told reporters in the capital, Naypyidaw. |
| It is not clear who Aung San Suu Kyi will choose as a proxy president. | It is not clear who Aung San Suu Kyi will choose as a proxy president. |
| “There seems no doubt that Suu Kyi will anoint a proxy president, as she has long said she would, and take up another position, most likely foreign minister,” Richard Horsey, an independent political analyst,said. | “There seems no doubt that Suu Kyi will anoint a proxy president, as she has long said she would, and take up another position, most likely foreign minister,” Richard Horsey, an independent political analyst,said. |
| “It’s time to shift to the business of getting the administration on its feet,” he added. | “It’s time to shift to the business of getting the administration on its feet,” he added. |
| Another analyst said the advanced date was a sign that talks between the military and the NLD had made no headway. | Another analyst said the advanced date was a sign that talks between the military and the NLD had made no headway. |
| “Setting the vote on the presidency so close to the deadline for the handover of power was part of the NLD’s pressure strategy,” said Romain Caillaud, of FTI Consulting in Singapore. “That the vote has been moved forward is an acknowledgment this strategy has failed.” | “Setting the vote on the presidency so close to the deadline for the handover of power was part of the NLD’s pressure strategy,” said Romain Caillaud, of FTI Consulting in Singapore. “That the vote has been moved forward is an acknowledgment this strategy has failed.” |
| On 10 March, the two NLD-majority chambers of parliament will nominate presidential candidates and the military MPs will nominate a third. The joint chamber then picks a president and two vice-presidents. It is not clear whether this will happen on the same day as the nominations. | On 10 March, the two NLD-majority chambers of parliament will nominate presidential candidates and the military MPs will nominate a third. The joint chamber then picks a president and two vice-presidents. It is not clear whether this will happen on the same day as the nominations. |
| Presidential candidates do not need to be elected members of the legislature. | Presidential candidates do not need to be elected members of the legislature. |
| The army retains 25% of seats in parliament under a 2008 constitution that it drafted, giving it an effective veto on constitutional change. It also retains key ministerial portfolios. | The army retains 25% of seats in parliament under a 2008 constitution that it drafted, giving it an effective veto on constitutional change. It also retains key ministerial portfolios. |
| Reuters and AFP contributed to this report | Reuters and AFP contributed to this report |