Myanmar completed here Monday its national convention of laying down all detailed basic principles for drafting a new state constitution, concluding its 14-year-long historical mission and signifying the formal end of the first step of a seven-step roadmap to democracy announced by the military government, according to sources with the national convention.
A closing ceremony to mark the end of the convention was held after finalizing all adopted detailed basic principles to be included in drafting the new state constitution.
Acting Prime Minister Lieutenant-General Thein Sein, who is also First Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council
and Chairman of the National Convention Convening Commission, reiterated at the ceremony that Myanmar will continue to follow the government-set seven-step roadmap to implement the remaining steps of drawing up a new state constitution, holding referendum, sponsoring general election and forming a new government.
In the national convention, which originally started in 1993 after the 1990 multi-party democracy general election, detailed basic principles under the headings of a total of 15 chapters of a new state constitution were adopted with the final phase of the convention having run from July 18 this year.
The 15 chapters are termed as "State Fundamental Principles", " Structure of State", "Head of state", "Legislature", "Executive" , "Judiciary", "Tatmadaw (Armed Forces), "Citizenship and Citizens' Fundamental Rights and Responsibilities", "Election", "Political Parties", "Provisions on State of Emergency", "Amendments of Constitution", "State Flag, State Emblem, National Anthem and Capital", "Transitory Provisions" and "General Provisions".
The one-and-a--half-month final session of the national convention held at the Nyaunghnapin Camp in Hmawby, about 40 kilometers northwest of Yangon, was attended by more than 1,000 delegates coming from eight categories of delegate groups.
In accordance with the detailed basic principles adopted by the national convention, Myanmar will adopt an executive system of President as head of state and empower a Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Union Parliament) which comprises Pyithu Hluttaw (House of Representatives) and Amyotha Hluttaw (House of Nationalities) in legislation.
Politically, the country will pursue a multi-party democracy system, while economically it will adopt a market-oriented economic system.
Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of the union, will be designated as union territory to be placed under direct administration of the president of the union.
Under the principles, the Tatmadaw (armed forces) will participate in the role of national political leadership of the state, for instance, in different-level parliament, 25 percent of the parliament representatives, who be military personnel, are to be nominated by the armed forces' commander-in-chief without being produced through election. Besides, armed forces members are also to be nominated by the commander-in-chief to hold posts for union government ministries of defense, security, home affairs and border affairs.
Dealing with the country's foreign affairs, the basic principles apparently designate that Myanmar will practise an independent, active and non-aligned policy, disallowing foreign troops to be deployed within the borders of the union.
According to the government-formed National Convention Convening Commission, the next step after the end of the convention is to set up a special commission to draw up a new state constitution based on all the detailed basic principles adopted throughout the convention. When the new constitution draft emerges, it will be followed by a national referendum to get approval and then a new general election to produce parliament representatives and form a new democratic government in line with the government's seven-step roadmap.
Source: Xinhua
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