SENG PHOO — The Shan State parliament called up a special legislative session in Taunggyi amid the COVID-19 pandemic to be held on May 18.

The announcement was made on May 2.

“The special session is to approve the budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, and to discuss COVID-19 issues,” Nang San San Aye, a parliamentarian for Hsipaw’s Constituency 1, told SHAN. “There will be no questions and no proposal section in this special session. The main objective is to approve the budget.”

Nang San San Aye said that MPs will follow social distancing guidelines during the session, sitting six feet apart, and will all stay in separate rooms in the parliament’s guesthouse.

She said that the timing of the session is questionable, but that the government processes require it in order to release funds and launch activities.

“I don’t think this meeting should be called up at this time. But the thing is that implementation processes can operate after approval from the parliament. Therefore, this is an avoidable meeting,” Nang San San Aye explained.

The session is expected to last two days.