Aung San Suu Kyi, military chief discuss new Myanmar gov't formation

Xinhua News Agency

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Leader of Myanmar's election-winning opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), Aung San Suu Kyi met with Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing in Nay Pyi Taw on Monday.

The pair had discussions on formation of the new government among a series of matters dealing with post-election transition, according to the Office of the Defense Services.

They also touched on issues related to peace and tranquility during the period and parliamentary affairs as well as continued implementation of Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement(NCA) after its signing for lasting peace

Present at the meeting, which was the second for the pair, were also Deputy Commander in Chief of the Defence Services and Commander in Chief of the Army Vice Senior General Soe Win from the military side, while Suu Kyi side included key members of NLD leadership including party spokesman U Win Htein, U Win Myint, U Zaw Myint Maung and Dr. Tin Myo Win.

Suu Kyi and Min Aung Hlaing last met on Dec. 2, 2015 for the first dialogue in response to Suu Kyi's call after NLD won a landslide victory in the Nov. 8 general elections.

The next term of sessions of the House of Representatives and the House of Nationalities of the parliament, produced through the Nov. 8 general elections, are due to begin on Feb. 1.

The current term of the parliament, which was produced through the 2010 general election and ran from 2011, will expire on Jan. 30.

Meanwhile, Myanmar's Union Election Commission has appointed 366 military-represented parliament members to three levels of the new parliament to take up 25 percent share of seats at each level of the legislative body.

Myanmar held a general election to elect representatives on Nov 8, 2015. In accordance with the election results, the NLD won the absolute majority of the parliamentary seats, which is strong enough for it to form a new government independently under the constitution.

According to the existing 2008 constitution, besides the elected representatives, the military possesses 25 percent of non- elected parliamentary seats in each level of the parliament, directly nominated by the commander-in chief of the defense services.