Burmese Constitution of 2008, invented a new type of political regime: disciplined democracy, though some think that there was a transcription error, the military drafted meant that "disciplinary "not" disciplined. "
The Constitution gives some useful clues to what is a disciplined democracy. It is a place where the military reserves 25% of seats in legislative assemblies, I guess it will be for parliament lords did not exceed the use of freedom of expression or a mistake when voting in the chamber. It is a place where the army operates as a separate tenement which can not get into the civil power. It is a place where political parties must commit to maintain the Union, national solidarity and sovereignty, to be loyal to the state, which will accept a multiparty democratic system and disciplined (the latter must mean that they will accept that military give them on the knuckles if they are bad guys), they will not receive help from foreign governments or foreign or religious associations and not accepted as members or religious officials. With so many obstacles, it is easier to dissolve a political party created.
elections held in November 2010 were very disciplinaditas, and wanted the military. It was not that the people out of hand as in 1990, who voted to give him the win and eventually won the game did not have to win. So that everything was well organized, the Board did not allow the presence of observers and foreign journalists. His argument was that the election was for the Burmese, not other countries that if they want to see polls that they organize their own elections. Because they are not bad at all, allowed diplomats accredited in the country visited polling stations pre-selected by the Board. Diplomats from the EU and the U.S. declined the offer, but the North Korean Ambassador embraced with enthusiasm. You may want to tell your Master that you can hold elections and get over 80% of the vote what you want. For the Burmese could exercise their right to vote comfortably, they allowed early voting. Some say it was a ruse to bring urns full of votes for the party that supported the military, the Party of the Union Solidarity and Development (USDP). Be evil-minded! The election day turnout was low. People must have said that why bother to go to the polls when the military already dealing with everything.
The day after the elections, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said that the conditions under which elections had been conducted had not been sufficiently " inclusive, participatory and transparent . That coming from someone so demure as Ban Ki-Moon a lot. Obama, who is more vehement, said there had been neither free nor fair and accused the Board if any stolen. Even Richard Horsey, a consultant who previously worked for the ILO in Rangoon and every time he writes on Burma tries to see the glass half full, acknowledged that " the vote took place in a peaceful atmosphere and a little off, but was colored by what appears to be a massive manipulation of the vote."
USDP all knew that would win the election. The question was whether his victory would be massive, overwhelming or overpowering. The military did not disappoint us. The USDP won 259 of the 326 seats at stake in the People's Assembly and 129 of the 168 National Assembly. By comparison, the second largest party, the National Unity Party, won respectively 12 and 5 seats. Certainly the National Unity Party was the party that the military had created to win the 1990 elections and he played. In other words, to have an independent, non-minimally party closely linked to the military we have to go to third on the list, the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party.
The USDP and deputies appointed by the military control nearly 85% of the cameras. Almost all other Members could go home, because it seems that they are going to need a lot. USDP + military members may: appoint two of the components of the triad that is submitted to the Presidential Electoral College to choose the President of the Union (by the way that the third member of the three candidates so designated by the military no-nonsense directory of parliament) to amend the Constitution every time it takes. For its part, the opposition can not block the constitutional amendments, or initiate the impeachment of the President, and halt the impeachment of the President, or call a special camera. I said, to that better than the opposition MPs to stay in their homes.
Ba Shin, a parliamentary opponent of Arakan, who did not stay at home and gone to parliament, has had his experiences in Nayipidaw the new capital. Tap water comes out rusty, why has not showered since he arrived. No details whether it longs to shower every day, or what the minimum safe distance at which one must register to speak with him. The water is rubbish compared to the problem you have with electricity. Already he has had finished eating in the light of a lantern, who walks not have to be difficult to have a steak in one hand holding a fork and a flashlight. Although perhaps the real problem is getting to be offered a steak in Nayipidaw.
wiser Another opposition MP, who did not want the disclosure of his name, has told that pensions for MPs are divided on the basis of their political affiliation. I guess more bugs pensions are reserved for opposition parliamentarians. The rooms have a ceiling fan and ensuite bathroom. The bathrooms have a shower, that this parliament confirms that it is useless because if you wash with water from the tap ends dirtier than it started. This parliament is more neat: the washed with mineral water. At the entrance and exit of a police pension control credentials. Not allowed to receive guests in the rooms and any visitors who have have to register. Must warning one day in advance if you want to use an official room for a reception or meeting. Will be for the intelligence services have sufficient time to put the microphones. If he found out how to live MEPs nationality was changed and presented to the European Parliament elections.
what looks to Parliament, these opposition MPs could have saved the trip and the dirty water from the shower. Parliament does not convene until January 31 this year, nearly three months after the elections and two and a half months after the announcement of official results. The delay in the announcement is symptomatic of the importance attached to it.
One of the advantages of being irrelevant is that no one pressures you. In February the average time Parliament met in session was 20 minutes daily. So the deputies out of their pensions after breakfast and could be back at eleven to play a game of cards before the appetizer. There was, yes, a day that the session was extended: it started at ten and did not end until 0:15. I imagine the stress must have felt the gentlemen that day.
Some critics have argued that the Parliament would not be more than a machine to say amen to the generals. Well, those critics have asserted. When it came time to present the slate of candidates for the Presidency, the Parliament sought to select a shortlist who liked to General Than Shwe and thus proposed: the Prime Minister and President of USDP, Thein Sein, who has proven to be very well ordered , the First Secretary of the military junta, Tin Aung Myint Oo and Sai Muak Khan, a member of USDP belonging to the Shan minority and had never been in politics. It was obvious that Muak Sai Khan would not be chosen, but it was very well put him on the shortlist for look how ethnic minorities in Burma care much for the regime.
Thein Sein was elected president in early February and presented to Parliament the list with the Government that it intended to be. Thein Sein met with the old adage that the poorer a country, the ministers have. Its government consists of exactly 34 ministerial portfolios. Are some of the traditional: Defense, Interior, Foreign Affairs. There are some more original as the Welfare and Resettlement, the Sports (not to be in the Olympics, athletes are not Burmese and hotel towels, maybe so do lack a ministry dedicated exclusively to the sport), the Industry, Industry subdivided into I and II and also coexists with the Industrial Development Ministry. There is a Ministry of Labour and also a Ministry of Immigration and Labor. The Ministry of Immigration is tricky, because Burma immigration people, more people migrate and as fast as he can. I miss here a Ministry of Equality. A parliamentary opposition happened to say that many ministers seemed at the time the acting Information Minister Kyaw San told him that neither of joke, which had the Ministries that were needed and that if we were to tell Ministers to see the Indians, who have 56. Come on, that the opponent does not play with the number of ministers, that is playing with the children's bread Kyaw San, who looks set to repeat as Minister of Information.
The question is whether the Government will be as irrelevant as the Parliament. Since the elections, General Than Shwe has made for himself and facing some important decisions, forgetting that Burma is now a newly disciplined democracy.
January 17 Than Shwe signed a bill that gives full authority to the Commander in Chief of the Army (or himself) to use the Special Funds (we call them the funds withheld), whose amount is unlimited, for the protection of the Constitution and the preservation of national sovereignty. The law says those funds will not be subject to audit and the report just presented Than Shwe on their use by the President at the end of the fiscal year. Luckily we all know that Than Shwe is a kind honest and reliable, if not the norm would be very dangerous for public finances.
Than Shwe is so good that he wanted to save work to Parliament and the new government and has left them and prepared a draft budget 2011-2012. The budget allocates money to 23'6% of Defense, which remains the priority. Interestingly reserve $ 22 million to the Office of the State Council for Peace and Development, the official name of the military junta. But hey, do not we agree that the arrangement was civil? By way of comparison, the 4.13% received education and health receives only 1.3% of the budget. We see that as Burma can not be the first in the list in literacy or access to drinking water, is trying to be the first in infant mortality, which is already 44 of 193 countries, begun by the tail. With a little effort can be put forward.
I hope these strokes serve to show a little of what it means to live in a disciplined democracy. It is paradise on earth ... on condition that a family is military and Than Shwe.
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