Suu Kyi sworn in as Myanmar MP
MYANMAR: Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sworn in
as a member of parliament Wednesday, opening a new chapter in the Nobel
laureate’s near quarter-century struggle against oppression.
The 66-year-old stood to read the parliamentary oath in unison with
33 other members of her National League for Democracy party who were
elected to the lower house in April, an AFP reporter said.
The signing of the oath marks a dramatic transformation in the
fortunes of the 66-year-old who was held under house arrest for much of
the past 20 years but is now central to the nation’s tentative
transition to democracy.
The oath, taken in front of lower house speaker Shwe Mann, states
members will “safeguard and abide by the Constitution of the Union” and
“hold always in esteem (the) non-disintegration of the Union,
non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of
sovereignty.”
Suu Kyi had initially refused to swear the oath, objecting
specifically to the “safeguard” element of the army-created
constitution.
But on Monday she retreated from that position having failed to
secure a compromise on the wording from President Thein Sein who heads
the nation’s nominally civilian government.
AFP
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