Myanmar opposition leader urges multi-party talks to settle political issues

YANGON, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chairperson of Myanmar's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday called for multi-party talks to settle the country's political issues, agreeing to a recent proposal to the parliament to hold a six-party talks as soon as possible.

Suu Kyi, who is also chairperson of the Lower House's Committee of Rule of Law and Tranquillity, told a press conference at her party's headquarters in Yangon that she is willing to take part in the talks if called.

The proposal was put forward by a parliament member of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) last month calling for six-party talks involving the president, the defense chief, Aung San Suu Kyi, both two speakers of the Lower and Upper Houses of the parliament and one ethnic representative.

The six-party talks, if convened, will be a follow-up of a prior five-party talks that took place on Oct. 31 involving the government, parliament, political parties, the military and the Union Election Commission. That prior talks produced no specific outcome.

She went on to underline that the parliament has made achievements to certain extent during its four years' term.

With regard to the upcoming 2015 general election, Suu Kyi said her party will decide whether it will take part in or not when the election date is announced.

Meanwhile, the two-House parliament, in its last session in November, adopted a draft nationwide referendum law concerning if the country's constitution should be amended.

The nationwide referendum on constitution is designated to be held in May next year before a general election takes place at the end of October or the beginning of November as roughly set by the Union Election Commission.

The result of the nationwide referendum on whether the constitution be changed or not will be applied in the next parliament term to be produced from the upcoming general election in 2015, which will retain to be held under the existing 2008 constitution.

NLD, established in September 1988, has a membership of 1.2 million now. In the 2012 by-elections, the party won 43 out of the 45 open parliamentary seats, 37 in the House of Representatives ( Lower House), four in the House of Nationalities (Upper House) and two in the region or state parliament.

http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/myanmar-opposition-leader-urges-multi-party-talks-to-settle-political-issues/