Myanmar parliament voting on amending key parts of constitution
By Hnin Yadana Zaw NAYPYITAW (Reuters) - Myanmar's parliament was voting on Thursday on whether to change two of the most contested provisions of the country's military-drafted constitution, using a rarely employed balloting system lawmakers said could make the result closer. Lawmakers have been debating since Tuesday proposed changes to the 2008 constitution that would weaken the military's control over the legislature. Officials inside parliament in Naypyitaw had set up ballot boxes, according to a Reuters witness, preparing for votes to be cast by paper ballot. A senior official from parliament said that the system had not been used since the 2011 presidential election. Lawmakers generally vote electronically or by standing to show that they are in favour of a particular motion, neither of which are secret. The decision on how votes are cast is decided by the speaker of parliament. The use of a paper ballot system could make it easier for voters from the parliament's military bloc to break ranks with their comrades, lawmakers said. "The good thing is that the MPs who secretly want the amendment can vote freely with no worries. The bad thing is the system is not very transparent," said Myint Oo, a member of parliament from the National League for Democracy (NLD). One proposal being voted on would trim the share of house votes required to amend the constitution from more than 75 percent to 70 percent. A quarter of Myanmar's parliamentary seats are reserved for unelected military MPs. The change would essentially remove the military's veto, but over the past two days military MPs have spoken out against the proposed amendment. Parliament is also expected to vote on changes to the section of the constitution that bars NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president because her children are British citizens, as was her late husband. But, as proposed, the change would still leave Suu Kyi unable to hold the country's top political role - the amendment would only allow for individuals with children married to foreigners to be president, leaving Suu Kyi out of contention. (Writing by Timothy McLaughlin; Additional reporting by Aung Hla Tun in Yangon; Editing by Alex Richardson)
