Updated on
Summary After more than 20 years, Myanmar has a constitution, elections and a parliament, Nambiar said.
The U.N. secretary-generals special adviser on Myanmar says the resource-rich but desperately poor nation has the potential to become an Asian tiger if it promotes investment, eases financial restrictions, and finds experts to develop the country.Vijay Nambiar gave an upbeat briefing to a group of reporters Tuesday, ahead of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moons visit to Myanmar this weekend, saying that after more than 20 years of almost self-inflicted hibernation the country has undergone rapid and dramatic political changes.I think the pace as well as the nature of the change has been in some ways extraordinary, and perhaps far in advance of what had been envisaged by the military, which ruled the country for 50 years, he said.Since last year, the new government headed by President Thein Sein has overseen a wave of political reforms and won wide praise for progress toward democratic rule. The government has freed political prisoners, signed truces with rebel groups, and organized April 1 by-elections deemed free and fair that were overwhelmingly won by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyis party and earned the Nobel laureate a seat in parliament after years of repression and house arrest.Today, after more than 20 years, Myanmar has a constitution, elections and a parliament, Nambiar said, which despite flaws never happened before.He said last years meeting between Thein Sein and Suu Kyi has been a major game changer, and he praised the presidents statesmanship and the opposition leaders agreement to contest the April election despite her opposition to the constitution which was drafted during an era of military rule and gives inordinate power to the military.Another game-changer, Nambiar said, was the decision of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations to choose Myanmar to chair the organization in 2014.The recent suspension of U.S. and European Union sanctions, which were imposed in the late 1990s to punish Myanmars former iron-fisted military rulers, has also been important, he said.But Myanmars progress towards democracy suffered a hiccup Monday when Suu Kyis party, the National League for Democracy, refused to take its 43 new seats in parliament because of a dispute over the lawmakers oath which says they must safeguard the constitution. It wants the word safeguard replaced with respect. Party officials said they expect the issue to be resolved soon.I think there is wisdom on both sides to get through this, Nambiar said. I cant see them going through elections and not solving this.He said one of the most important imperatives today is to develop Myanmar, which he described as a country twice the size of England or France with a population much larger than Afghanistan and Iraq put together which has had 60 years of conflict. According to the International Monetary Fund, Myanmars population in 2010 was 50.5 million and the country ranks 149th out of 185 on the U.N.s Human Development Index which measures the quality of life.There is a critical need for external investment, for easing of financial restrictions, of currency reform, Nambiar said. All these areas are extemely necessary — and quickly.
Featured
