Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Freedom of debate in Burma’s new Parliament apparently will be tightly controled by the authorities, saying ‘it is important not to have a sense of contradiction.’
In one of his first statements, Lower House Speaker Khin Aung Myint warned members of Parliament to refrain from spending too much time in debate during sessions.
Likewise, during the Upper House session on Monday Speaker Khin Aung Myint warned MPs about excessive, rowdy debate in Parliament.
He was quoted in a state-run newspaper, ‘The Mirror’, on Tuesday: ‘The Parliament representatives are to serve the interests of the people unanimously no matter which party they are from. And they are to discuss any matters in unison. It is important not to have a sense of contradiction. The precious time will be lost if they argue with each other. The Parliament should not be in a debate-like situation’.
A USDP member in the Upper House, Khin Shwe, said that restrictions and close scrutiny of debate was good because many MPs are inexperienced in parliamentary affairs.
‘We are not yet accustomed to that practice (parliamentary debates) so the regulation and restriction should be exercised and adopted to avoid unnecessary problems. This is a preventive measure’, he said.
However, 88-Generation Students and Youths (Union of Myanmar) party chairman Ye Tun said that many MPs failed to nod their heads during the anti-debate remarks.
‘They must say white is white and black is black based on what they see and think’, he said. ‘In these assemblies, which a single party (USDP) dominates, some MPs are scared of opposing the dominant MPs, and they might not dare to say “white” when the dominant party is saying “black”’.
‘It should not be like that in Parliament, the minority having to accept whatever someone representing the majority is saying’, he said.
White Tiger party (Shan Nationalities Democratic Party) MP Sai Saung Si said that his party planned to present their arguments in debates with sound facts and reasons, and they have no reason to create ‘roadside brawls,’ as one speaker described debates.
‘We will submit our bills and raise our questions with reasonable facts done lawfully in the parliaments. All of our presentations will be controlled and reasonable’, he said.
The first parliamentary sessions took place in the newly built Lower House, which has 440 seats, and the Upper House, which has 224 seats. One fourth of the total seats are reserved for military-appointed MPs in uniform.
News of the Parliament sessions was telecast by state-run Myanmar TV on Tuesday, which showed some MPs in their ethnic traditional dress seated among other MPs in military uniform and MPs wearing the white traditional Burmese overcoat.
According to the dress code prescribed by Parliament regulations, all non-military MPs must wear traditional dress. Hand phones, cameras and recorders are banned from the Parliament chambers.
