Irrawaddy Regional Parliament to Appoint New Chief Minister

By Salai Thant Zin 10 January 2018

PATHEIN — The Irrawaddy Regional Parliament will convene an emergency meeting on Jan. 15 to appoint a new chief minister following the resignation of Mahn Johnny from the post.

In separate announcements dated Jan. 9, the President’s Office approved the resignations of Irrawaddy Region Chief Minister Mahn Johnny and Agriculture, Livestock, Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Minister U Ba Hein.

“We have arranged an emergency meeting on Jan. 15 in accordance with parliamentary by-law Section 32,” U San Min Aung, the regional parliament’s deputy speaker, told The Irrawaddy.

At the meeting, regional lawmakers will be asked to approve a candidate for chief minister nominated by the president.

Mahn Johnny will continue to serve as a lawmaker representing Kyonepyaw Township in the regional parliament.

“He is 77 years old. Everyone knows he is not very fit because of his age. I was told that he submitted his resignation on grounds of ill health, and that the President’s Office approved it,” U San Min Aung said.

Mahn Johnny, a former political prisoner and long-serving member of the National League for Democracy (NLD), was elected in the 1990 election, the results of which were rejected by the military.

He contested the 2012 by-election and was elected as a lawmaker representing Irrawaddy Region’s Myaungmya Township in the Lower House of the Union Parliament during U Thein Sein’s administration. He served as chief minister of Irrawaddy Region from April 1, 2016 to Jan. 8 of this year.

Under parliamentary law, President U Htin Kyaw must nominate a lawmaker serving in the Irrawaddy Regional Parliament to take over the chief minister’s post.