An NLD State MP, who requested not to be named, said other MPs have better qualifications than U Min Min Oo and the president-elect’s nomination of him as both a speaker and as chief minister seems to have belittled his NLD colleagues.

“This is the centralization system practiced by the NLD. He has been appointed Chief Minister even though he has already been appointed as the Hluttaw (parliament) Deputy Speaker. There are many people left. There are many people who are better than him. This seems to mean that the rest of the people are useless,” said the NLD MP.

He also said he was unsatisfied with the Mon State Hluttaw for failing to seek the opinions of MPs before appointing U Min Min Oo as the Chief Minister on 28 March. The anonymous MP added that he can't accept U Min Min Oo's appointment no matter what reason is given.

Another NLD MP had equally scathing things to say about the appointment. ”I don’t like the system where we have to say yes because the higher [level] said yes. I want to change this. In a democracy, one should ask the views of the majority. I didn’t like it when he was appointed as the State Parliament Deputy Speaker. I only didn’t say anything because he wouldn’t able to do much as a Deputy Speaker,” the MP said.

Not all NLD MPs are opposed to the appointment however. The NLD’s Mon State Hluttaw MP, Min Htin Aung Han told IMNA that there is no reason why the public cannot accept the chief minister's appointment because he was chosen by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and she is trusted by the public.

U Min Min Oo is a 46 year electronics degree graduate from Taungzone Village in Mon State's Belin Township. He is the vice-chairman of Belin Township’s NLD and head of finance for Belin Township’s rubber plantation association as well as a member of the management committee of the Taungzone Administrative Hospital.

Translated by Thida Linn

U Min Min Oo, the new Mon State Chief Minister (MNA)