KIO to propose 19-point amendment of the constitution

KIO to propose 19-point amendment of the constitution Mizzima News (www.mizzima. com) July 19, 2007 - A 19 point proposal appealing to the National Convention to amend the draft constitution in favour of a federal union was released by the The Kachin Independent Organization, an ethnic ceasefire group, currently attending the final round of the military junta's meet. Among the crucial clauses in the proposal is the suggestion that the armed forces of Burma, including all ethnic nationalities, should be named the 'Federal Armed Force'. The delegates of the KIO central committee of the special region -2, in its paper to be submitted to the convention convening commission, points out the need for a federal system, which clearly demarcates the powers of the centre and the states in order to protect the rights of ethnic nationalities. The six-page proposal was released just a day after reconvening of the convention, which the junta said will be the last round of the 14-year old constitution drafting convention. The proposal said though the 1947 constitution stated that Burma is a Federal Union , in practice it had been a unitary system with rigid central control. In order to avoid repeating the mistake, the proposal states that the current constitution should include articles guaranteeing autonomy of the states and the rights of ethnic nationalities, and to vest power to the state legislative with regard to the rights of ethnic nationalities. The paper's warning on the role of executive is that if the president with his/her power exerts direct control over the states, it could turn into a unitary system. Therefore, it suggests, avoiding such over turn. The Chief Ministers of the states should be elected with majority votes in the state legislative. The paper further states that while declaring an emergency in the states, the Chief Minister after consulting the state legislature should discuss with the President of the country and the President in turn after consultations with the state legislature will declare an emergency. Moreover, by forming a separate Ministry to deal with border areas, the powers of the states that are located in the border line would be diminished and be controlled by the centre, which will create unnecessary problems, the paper said. Therefore, it suggested, that border issues should be left open to negotiation between the states and the Defence Ministry. While the junta has announced that the convention, which reconvened yesterday, will be the last round and will include amendments, additions, and nullifications of the constitution in order to be flawless, the opposition both inside and outside Burma has dubbed it as a sham. Burma's largest opposition party – the National League for Democracy – said it will wait for the outcome of the convention then judge it. Though the KIO along with a few other ethnic delegates are making efforts to amend the basic guidelines of the constitution, the chairman of the convention convening commission, Lt- Gen Thein Sein at the inaugural session of the convention yesterday appealed that no more proposed changes to constitutional guidelines be made since it was agreed at the last session. He further said discussions should be held within the frame work of the six objectives of the convention. Among the six guidelines, the junta has effectively included a clause stating the participation of the military in future political affairs of Burma. The KIO, which has a ceasefire agreement with the junta since 1993, in its paper suggested that the armed forces of Burma, which includes all ethnic nationalities, should be named 'the federal armed force'. Meanwhile, nearly twenty ethnic armed groups, which have ceasefire agreements with the junta are concerned that the junta might intensify pressure to lay down their arms after a constitution has been finalized following the conclusion of the national convention.