Soe Thu Aung — Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi said that they had to try to reduce the reserved seats of military in parliament if they wished to build a genuine democracy in the country.

She said this saying in reply to a question asking about the 25 percent of seats reserved for the military by a local resident at a meeting with people held in Kyain Seikgyi Township, Kayin State on February 24.

“This is not because of wishing to remove these military MPs from parliament. It is because of removing supremacy of unelected MPs over elected MPs in parliament. This is because of our wish to build genuine democracy in the country,” the State Counsellor said.

Regarding the presence of 25 percent MPs from the military in parliament, she said, “Not only Tatmadaw (Defence Services) MPs, any organization or any unelected people’s representative must not have supremacy over duly elected people’s representatives if the country is really practicing genuine democracy.”

Democracy meant rule by the people so that the unelected representatives could participate in the parliament businesses but their authority must have limitations, she added.

So we are currently working to amend the constitution in parliament step by step for building a democratic federal union, she said.

The State Counsellor also said that attempting to amend article 59(f) of the constitution and objecting to this sub-article was not for personal gain but it was not compliant with the basic norms of democracy.

The State Counsellor is taking tours to Panglong in Shan State, Htantlang and Ton Zang in Chin State and now in Kayin State in February of this year for holding public meeting with her.

Similarly the State Counsellor will visit Myawady on February 25 to meet with people in a public meeting.

Some ethnic political parties have criticized these tours claiming they are part of the election campaign for her party ahead of the forthcoming 2020 general elections using the union budget.