RANGOON — Burmese citizens have filed complaints against more than 40 National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmakers since April, according to the chairperson of the party’s complaint handling body, Dr. Myo Nyunt.
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He said that the department had received complaints against 40 lawmakers in total and that they had submitted these to the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC).
“In some cases, three to four people have filed complaints against a single lawmaker,” Dr Myo Nyunt told The Irrawaddy.
“The CEC makes the final decision about how to punish party members, though we also make suggestions,” he added.
Dr. Myo Nyunt refused to provide details about individual cases and only said that the punishments include a serious warning and suspension from party duties.
U Tun Tun Hein, a CEC member, said that “so far, we have not yet suspended any lawmakers.”
U Tin Aye, former chairman of the Union Election Commission, in August of last year urged U Shwe Mann, the then speaker of the Union Parliament, to enact impeachment legislation that granted citizens the right to recall misbehaving lawmakers.
Lawmakers voted to suspend the bill, however, and the now NLD-dominated parliament has yet to pick it up again for debate.
NLD lawmaker Dr. Soe Moe Thu, who represents Irrawaddy Division’s Myaungmya Township in the Lower House, is accused of having an extramarital affair that came to light on social media.
Rangoon’s Shwepyitha Township representative of the Lower House U Nyan Linn is being sued by a city motel after drunkenly fighting there.
In the meantime, the CEC is also undertaking an internal investigation on the controversial dismissal and demotion of leading members of the NLD’s Shan State chapter by CEC member U Win Htein.
On Oct. 26, NLD patron U Tin Oo in a meeting with NLD lawmakers in Rangoon warned that no lawmaker was above party rules and urged the party to solve problems together.
Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
