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           Suu Kyi Reaffirms Pledge to Revamp Myanmar's Constitution

   by VOA News

   Aung San Suu Kyi says the Myanmar's constitution needs to be amended in
   order to transform the former military-ruled nation into a true
   "federal democratic union."

   The Nobel Peace laureate and de facto head of state repeated her vow to
   revise the nation's charter during a nationally televised speech
   Monday, as part of her goal to ensure "national reconciliation,"
   including equal treatment of the country's various ethnic groups.

   Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been plagued by ethnic insurgencies
   since gaining its independence from Britain in 1948.

   The current constitution was crafted in 2010, shortly before the
   long-ruling military junta turned over power to a semi-civilian
   government.  But the military still remains a political force, it holds
   25 percent of all parliamentary seats, plus the key ministerial posts
   of home affairs and defense, enough to give it veto power over any
   proposed constitutional changes.

   The constitution also bars Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president,
   because she was married to and had children with a foreign national.
   But she is serving in President Htin Kyaw's Cabinet as foreign
   minister, and is also serving in the legislature-created post of "state
   counselor," allowing her to follow through with her pledge to run the
   government through a figurehead president.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/myanmar-aung-san-suu-kyi-constitution
   /3290229.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/myanmar-aung-san-suu-kyi-constitution/3290229.html