Lawmakers from the National League for Democracy (NLD) have suggested abolishing or amending constitutional articles enshrining the power of the country’s military in politics, according to a report issued Monday by the committee tasked with proposing democratic changes to the 11-year-old charter, RFA reported.

Committee legislators from the NLD have proposed getting rid of Article 20 authorizing the commander-in-chief of the armed forces to oversee the country’s security and defence institutions, and to gradually phase out the quarter of national and regional parliamentary seats automatically reserved for military officers under another article, legislators said.

NLD members of parliament also suggested changing Article 436 so that the support of only two-thirds of elected lawmakers would be necessary to approve constitutional changes instead of the current 75 per cent plus requirement that effectively allows the military bloc to reject amendments with their built-in veto power.

Union Parliament in Nay Pyi Taw. Photo: EPA