Myanmar's "Lady" and the power of the super minister

Holding four ministerial positions simultaneously and likely to be appointed as state counselor, Aung San Suu Kyi is said to have the same power as the prime minister.

Aung San Suu Kyi is often called "The Lady" of Myanmar. Photo: Reuters

Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling party on March 31 took the first step to formalize her position as the country's leader, bypassing strict constitutional rules that prohibit the politician from becoming president.

Her National League for Democracy (NLD), which won a landslide victory in last year's general election, has submitted a bill to Myanmar's parliament to create the position of "state counselor" and appointed her to the post. Some analysts are comparing the position to that of prime minister.

The position of state counsellor would help Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi consolidate her influence over both the executive and legislative branches of Myanmar, which are already held by her allies, according to the New York Times. At the same time, this position also marks a strong promotion for a woman who was a political prisoner for 15 years.

On March 30, she was sworn in as four ministerial positions, including foreign minister, and also the leader of the NLD’s majority in parliament. These positions make her the most powerful person in the government.

“If Daw Suu becomes state counsellor, she will clearly lead both the government and parliament,” said U Yan Myo Thein, a political analyst in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city. He said the position would give her influence over both the executive and legislative branches.

The journey of the struggle for democracy of the 'Lady' of Myanmar. (Click on the image to see the larger size) Graphics: Tien Thanh - Phuong Vu

Myanmar's military-drafted constitution bars Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president, because she has children and her husband is a British citizen.

During the election campaign, she vowed to remain “above” the president, at least until she achieved her goal of amending Myanmar’s constitution. And her NLD party has shown how it will do so.

Myanmar’s Senate passed a bill on April 1 to establish the position of state counselor. The bill will still have to be approved by the lower house, but according to the NYTimes, with the NLD holding a majority in both the upper and lower houses, the decision is likely to pass without much difficulty.

Richard Horsey, a political analyst and former United Nations official in Yangon, said the main purpose of creating the position was not to give the pro-democracy leader more power, but to help her use the power she already had more effectively.

“The most important thing, I think, is that it would allow her to meet with anyone, and report to the legislature. This would mean she could advise the presidents (of the Senate and House) with less risk of being accused of violating strict constitutional separation of powers limits,” said Mr Horsey.

Coordinator

However, members of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which has long been in power, have condemned the move as a power grab.

“It seems like she wants to hold as many positions as possible,” said U Hla Swe, a former USDP lawmaker. “She is using her hands, feet and teeth to grab positions. I mean she is power hungry.”

According to Mr. Swe, with current legal regulations, the position of chief of the president's office - one of four ministerial positions held by Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi - is enough to help her participate in all issues in the government.

U Aung Kyi Nyunt, an NLD member who helped draft the state counsellor law, described the position as a “coordinator between the government and parliament”.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s longtime ally, U Htin Kyaw, was sworn in as president on March 30, and is seen as the person who carries out the leader’s policies. In addition to her posts as foreign minister and chief of staff to the president, she also assumed the posts of education minister and minister of electricity and energy.

Myanmar’s constitution gives armed forces leaders the power to appoint the ministers of defense, home affairs and border affairs. This power-sharing arrangement means Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the NLD, will have to consult with the military on major national security, ethnic and foreign policy issues.

After the November 2015 election, Aung San Suu Kyi tried unsuccessfully to remove the constitutional hurdle that prevented her from becoming president. Controlling a quarter of the seats in parliament would be enough for the military to vote to block any constitutional amendments.

Aung Kyi Nyunt believes that the advisory position will enable her to discuss with top leaders in parliament and government the most important issues facing Myanmar.

"As state counselor, Aung San Suu Kyi can advise the president of both houses on important issues of the country, such as peace, democratization and development," Mr. Nyunt said.

According to VNE