Qatar- New president in Myanmar

3/16/2016 1:09:00 AM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Myanmar’s democracy has grown with the election of a new president but challenges remain for the new government.

Myanmar has achieved another milestone in its dramatic transformation from an isolated state to a rapidly opening and aspiring democracy. The parliament in the country has elected Htin Kyaw 69 a close confidant of Myanmar’s Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as president making him the first head of state who does not hail from a military background since the 1960s. It was a moment of glory for Suu Kyi whose National League for Democracy won a thumping victory in the elections in November allowing her party to dominate Myanmar’s two legislative houses. Htin Kyaw will be sworn in on March 30 replacing incumbent Thein Sein.

Suu Kyi could easily have become the president but she is barred from top political office by a constitutional amendment brought by the junta. She is married and had children with a foreigner and this makes her constitutionally unable to become president. But she has vowed to run the country through Htin Kyaw who runs a charity founded by Suu Kyi and has been a trusted member of her inner circle since the mid-1990s. It’s not clear whether Suu Kyi will become part of the government through other positions. There was speculation that she may become prime minister - a position that does not currently exist. As prime minister she would be able to travel the world and meet world leaders and basically fulfill the role of being the president without actually having that title. There were also reports that she could be appointed as the country’s foreign minister.

Myanmar has passed a major test with the election of a non-military president but other challenges remain. Relations between the armed forces and Suu Kyi will define the success of the new government. Suu Kyi will have to manage the relationship with the military very cautiously because the military retains significant power including control of the vital home defence and border ministries. Any confrontation between the two can give rise to a cold war and hobble the government at a time when the country needs a powerful and stable leadership to overcome the many challenges facing the country.

Tensions between Suu Kyi and the junta have simmered in the run-up to the presidential election and are continuing as her party prepares to take power. Suu Kyi wants to establish complete democracy by demilitarising the country’s politics but the military is unlikely to relinquish all the power it holds.

The international community would expect the new government to address the issue of Rohingyas who are suffering persecution at the hands of the majority community. Suu Kyi will have to take some tough decisions to ensure justice to Rohingyas. Secondly the new government will have to focus on rebuilding the weak economy.

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