Yangon (dpa) – Myanmar’s outgoing President Thein Sein Thursday praised the country’s “bloodless shift” to democracy, as the country’s outgoing parliament passed a law giving him and other former leaders immunity from prosecution.
Myanmar began its transition from military to civilian rule in 2011, not long after the Arab Spring started.
“But after five years, Myanmar is still implementing the reform process steadily step by step while most Arab countries see the violence that is destroying stability and democratization,” he told the outgoing parliament.
Thein Sein (pic) said that his country still has problems such as the incomplete peace process with ethnic minority rebels, creaky infrastructure and economic development.
The former army general’s government has made dramatic changes since it took power in 2011, following a general election that ended half a century of military rule. The changes resulted in the lifting of international sanctions on the former pariah state.
The country’s main opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her party National League for Democracy boycotted the 2010 election but won the November 2015 election by a landslide, and is now in a position to elect the next president.
Suu Kyi has approved nominations for powerful house speaker posts in the new parliament, due to start on Monday, party officials said.
Her party’s majority in parliament means the candidates are almost certain to be appointed to the posts.
The speakers decide what issues are discussed in parliament.
NLD spokesman Win Htein told the media that the party has nominated Win Myint and Win Khaing Than, both NLD members, for the speaker posts the Lower and Upper House, respectively.
In one of their final acts during the outgoing parliament, lawmakers passed legislation giving immunity to former presidents.
The bill, which has been roundly criticized by human rights groups within Myanmar and internationally, says no legal action can be taken against a retired president for his or her activities in the line of duty.
