CNI News
5 July 2022
The Tatmadaw will continue to play a leading role in national politics in the interest of the country, said Chairman of State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
The senior general made the comment when he met officers and other ranks and families of Pathein Station in Northwestern Command on 4th July.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said, “ The Tatmadaw has taken a leading role in current reforms of the country and will continue to play a leading role in national politics in the interest of the country while taking appropriate measures properly.”
He also said that the country is moving forward on the democratic path and measures must be taken in accordance with the law in performing duties of the country in line with the 2008 Constitution.
“As I said previously, it is stipulated in the 2008 Constitution that the Tatmadaw will play a leading role in politics and they will continue to do so in accordance with the constitution. They also accept that the Tatmadaw will have to quit politics when the danger of disintegration of the country has been eliminated and peace has been restored but they do not set the time frame exactly. The NLD set the time frame for the Tatmadaw to quit politics and therefore, proposed constitutional amendments during the term of the previous Hluttaw to force the Tatmadaw to quit politics phase by phase by reducing the number of Tatmadaw representatives,” Political Observer U Ye Tun told the CNI.
It is stipulated in section 6(f) that the union’s consistent objectives are “enabling the Defence Services to be able to participate in the national political leadership role of the state.
However, ethnic armed organizations have said it is necessary for the Tatmadaw to withdraw from politics.
They hope to amend the provision by substituting the phrase “enabling the Defence Services to participate in the national political leadership role” with “to withdraw from politics at an appropriate time” or “to allow the Tatmadaw to participate in national political leadership during an appropriate period of time.”
