A coordination meeting was held February 8 in parliament for forming a joint committee with 45 members to amend the 2008 Constitution speedily but it could not be approved so another meeting will have to be held. 

The joint meeting was held at Zabuthiri Hall in parliament for forming a joint constitution amendment committee was attended by representatives of the ruling NLD party, USDP, representative from Tatmadaw (Defence Services), Wa Democratic Party, Pa-O National League Party, Zomi National League, Ta’ang National Party, Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), Arakan National Party (ANP), Kokang National and Unity Party, Mon National Party, National United Democratic Party, National Unity Party (NUP), Kachin State Democracy Party and Lisu National Development Party.

This joint committee will have Chairman Tun Tun Hein, deputy speaker of Union Parliament, Vice-Chairman Aye Thar Aung, Deputy Speaker of House of Nationalities, 21 MPs from House of Nationalities and 22 MPs from House of Representatives.

Lower House MP Thaung Aye of USDP from party Pyawbwe constituency said that it should be fair in forming this joint committee as the objective and function of this committee was crucial, amending the constitution.

“So it should be fair in representation. We should have standards in representation, maybe five or 10. If a party has more than 10 MPs, the representation should be 10, if it has 10 MPs, its representation should be ten too and if a party has less than 10 MPs, all of these MPs less than ten, may be nine or eight or one, should have representations in this committee. We suggested this principle of representation at this coordination meeting. It has not yet been decided. All parties will go back to their party for further discussion with their leaders for this matter,” MP Thaung Aye from USDP said to the media after the meeting.

This joint committee has to be constituted with proportional representatives from 14 political parties, MPs from the Tatmadaw and independent MPs.

The proposal for forming a constitution amendment committee with 45 members at this coordination committee could not be approved so that another meeting on this matter will be held again on 15 February for further discussion.