This Week in Parliament (May 23-27)
By The Irrawaddy 28 May 2016
May 23 (Monday)
The Union Parliament approved the resignation of Kyaw Tint Swe from membership on the national legislature’s Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission following his appointment as minister of the State Counselor’s Office.
It approved the name change of a ministry—from Ministry of Health to Ministry of Health and Sports.
It also approved the president’s proposal to arrange agricultural loans for farmers for the 2016-17 fiscal year, allocating 5 billion kyats (US$4.2 million) in loans from Burma’s Central Bank.
May 24 (Tuesday)
The Lower House received the draft law to annul the “Law to Safeguard the State Against the Dangers of Those Desiring to Cause Subversive Acts,” which was sent by the Upper House.
May 25 (Wednesday)
The Lower House approved the draft law to annul the “People’s Council Law,” which the Upper House had also earlier approved. The People’s Council Law (Law No. 8/1974) was enacted during the rule of the Burma Socialist Programme Party under the late Gen. Ne Win. Under the law, the party formed councils at different levels to supervise administrative and judicial work.
The Lower House also approved the draft law to revoke the “State Council Law” (Law No. 10/1974), which had also been earlier approved by the Upper House. Under the law, the State Council has the overall power to manage the country.
May 26 (Thursday)
The Union Parliament approved the draft law to annul the Law to Safeguard the State Against the Dangers of Those Desiring to Cause Subversive Acts.
In the Lower House, two lawmakers submitted urgent proposals, requesting the government take care of damage to roads, bridges and mobile towers caused by heavy rains and serious food shortages in Chipwe, Low Saw, and Khaung Lam Pu of Kachin State. Concerned ministers explained their response plans and the Lower House put the two proposals in the record.
May 27 (Friday)
In the Upper House, the minister for transportation and telecommunications replied to questioning from lawmaker Sai Than from constituency No. 5 of Karen State, saying that his ministry had no plan to issue licenses for smuggled unlicensed vehicles.
The Upper House was informed that the Lower House had approved the draft laws to annul the People’s Council Law and the State Council Law.
