The source, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed that U Sai Nyunt Lwin was travelling to Naypyidaw on 9 March, but did not know why he was travelling.

Earlier U Sai Nyunt Lwin had told the media that the National League for Democracy (NLD) had invited his party to take a government position, but that he had no details about which position it was.

Many people expect the NLD to nominate a vice-president from the SNLD as they are an ethnic party aligned with the NLD and nominating a vice-president from an ethnic party fits in with the NLD’s policy of national reconciliation.

Though the SNLD received the invitation to Naypyidaw over two months ago rumours that U Sai Nyunt Lwin would be nominated as a vice-president only started spreading a few days ago.

Two months ago there had been rumours that SNLD leader, U Khun Tun Oo, was going to be asked to be vice-president after he said, on a trip to Mong Hsu in January, that he had been invited to take the job.

But, because U Khun Tun Oo has an Australian daughter he is not eligible to become vice-president. This led to the rumours that U Sai Nyunt Lwin would be offered the job instead.

Another candidate for the vice-president’s job was the ethnic Zomi leader and long-time NLD ally Pu Cin Sian, but he too is ineligible to become vice-president. Observers believe that this makes it even more probable that an SNLD member will be offered one of the top government jobs.

Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI