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Viewpoint: Aung San Suu Kyi still in running for Myanmar presidency


Jonathan Fairfield

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Viewpoint: Aung San Suu Kyi still in running for Myanmar presidency


Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi remains effectively barred from standing for president after Myanmar's general election in November, following a government review that left the constitution largely intact.


Many view this as a major setback for her, but Myanmar expert Andrew McLeod argues that if anything, her odds may have improved.


Myanmar's impenetrable politics tempt the casual observer to read its transition from military rule as a sham.


The constitution grants the military automatic representation of at least 25% of parliamentary seats, guarantees a military veto over any constitutional change, and ensures only the military's commander-in-chief controls key ministry appointments.


It also excludes any person from becoming president if their family members are foreigners. By most accounts, this prohibition was designed to prevent Ms Suu Kyi, perhaps the most popular politician in the country, from ever becoming president - her two sons hold British citizenship.


Such broad brushstrokes, however, tend to mislead.




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