Myanmar parliament to set up committee to review proposed constitutional amendments News
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Myanmar parliament to set up committee to review proposed constitutional amendments

Myanmar’s parliament voted Wednesday to set up a committee to discuss proposed amendments to the constitution.

This vote comes one week after the National League for Democracy (NLD) submitted an emergency proposal to parliament detailing suggested amendments to the constitution. The suggestions were offered on the basis that the 2008 constitution is undemocratic.

The vote to approve the committee was supported by 414 of the available 611 voting lawmakers, making this the biggest challenge to the military’s power in three years.

The proposed amendments put forward by the NLD include recommendations to amend the nomination of members of Defense Services, instead enabling the people to elect such members. There are also suggestions to remove certain restrictions on voting and qualifications to run for office. The NLD in the proposal refers to the constitutions of other nations as examples to follow in ensuring a constitution in support of a democratic nation.