The State Administration Council held its meeting 2/2023 in the meeting hall of the office of the State Administration Council Chairman in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon, and State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivered a speech. Present at the meeting were: SAC Vice-Chair Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win, SAC Secretary Lt-Gen Aung Lin Dwe, Joint Secretary Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo, the SAC members and responsible officials.
Exerted efforts are needed to accomplish adopted future programmes and objectives
First, the SAC Chair PM delivered the opening speech. He said that it is the first meeting after an extension for another six months for the state of emergency, that the meeting is aimed at discussing the political, economic and social matters which are to be carried out in the coming six months, that SAC is obliged to formulate the national-level policies and exert efforts to accomplish the future work programmes and the objectives, that the state of the emergency period has been extended for another six months as there does not prevail stability and peace for hundred per cent, thereby arising the need to restore the stability and peace to be able to hold the free and fair election and that the free and fair election is to be held across the nation in such a way that everybody will have the right to vote.
The Senior General went on to say that no nation around the world can hold an election in which hundred per cent of voters come to vote, that people have the right to decide as to whether they will vote or not, that it is, however, the duty of the government to make necessary arrangements to enable all people to vote, that the government is required to protect the voters against the threats and/or pressures and to ensure stability and peace at the time of voting.
He said that the country is not hundred per cent stable and peaceful because of the attacks made by certain EAOs and the PDF and that it is, therefore, necessary to continue to restore stability and peace to the country.
Preparations are underway to successfully hold the forthcoming election
Concerning the political parties, he said that there are many political parties, but only a handful of them can have won the parliamentary seats, that this situation is indicating that the political parties are rather weak in fulfilling the aspirations of the people and that they cannot win the love and trust of the voters. Therefore, the political parties cannot be said to represent the people and their regions. And those parties that have won the parliamentary seats are also found that they cannot represent the people from their constituencies very well by actively participating in the parliament because the parliament is dominated by a single party which has won a landslide victory in the election. To prevent such domination from occurring again, we have amended the Political Parties Registration Law. To enable the political parties to represent the people and to enable the indigenous people to have their own say in the parliament, we have decided to introduce the PR system. It is found that the political parties and the ethnic armed organizations are both willing to practise the PR system.
Regarding the voters’ lists, the Ministry of Immigration and Population has the list of eligible voters while the Election Commission has also the voters’ list. Plus, the General Administration Department also keeps the voters’ list. Among these three lists, the list of the Immigration and Population Ministry is based on the census, so, their list can be the most accurate. According to the international standard, the census is to be conducted every ten years. We conducted our last census in 2014. With the passage of nine years, some data are needed to be confirmed again. The outbreak of the pandemic, the political instability caused by terrorism and the political conflicts have weakened the accuracy of the data and information. Therefore, if we want the accuracy of the data, we need to conduct the census again in the first place. Then only, will the voters’ list be accurate. This is the reason why I have demanded another six-month extension from the pro tem president. And as requested by the pro tem president, I have declared martial law in certain regions to restore stability and peace. On our part, we have laid down the objectives and the plans since the assumption of the duties, and now we have revised our objectives and future plans again to adapt to the latest situation. We have brought to the fore the security to ensure stability and peace across the nation. In this regard, I would like to tell the people from this meeting that declaration of the martial law in some regions and areas is not to restrict the people but to crack down on the activities of the terrorists who are damaging the interests of the local people.
Effectuation of national prosperity and ensuring food security
After security, our priority is given to the socioeconomic development of the people. To effectuate national prosperity and ensure food security, we are carrying out people-centred development activities. Obviously, national prosperity cannot be brought about if there does not prevail stability and peace. As for food security, we are now encouraging manufacturing based on agriculture and livestock breeding. The overwhelming majority of the rural people are living on farming and livestock breeding. Therefore, if agriculture and livestock breeding-based manufacturing and production can be successful, the socioeconomic life of the majority of the people will be developed. True, there was some level of economic difficulty in 2021 and 2022. No food shortage was seen despite the price hike. If the socioeconomic life of the people from basic strata can be promoted, the country will prosper. Our priority is given to the prosperity of the majority. This should be borne in your mind, my council members, he said. The promotion of agriculture and livestock breeding activities will contribute towards the development of the border areas.
Regarding rice supply, some regions and states are self-sufficient. At the national level, rice sufficiency is 142 per cent. The regions which are not self-sufficient are needed to boost per acre yield while those which are already self-sufficient are needed to think of exporting the surplus rice. The land should be reclaimed if there is not enough cultivable land. More importantly, per-acre yield should be boosted.
Promoting quality education and quality human resources
Concerning promoting the quality of human resources, the Senior General said that if the human resources that are engaged in agricultural activities and the livestock breeding businesses can be promoted, these businesses will be booming, thereby effectuating the socioeconomic development of the rural people who are the majority of our country. This is the reason why the agriculture and livestock breeding academies and training schools are being upgraded to provide quality education to the students, who will be engaged in these businesses.
Regarding education, basic education schools have been reopened but some cannot be back to school for lack of security or economic reasons. We want them all back to school in the coming academic year. During our tenure, more and more agricultural and livestock breeding institutes have been opened in 50 districts. There will also be more technical schools. Only when we can bring about the educational development of the students will the nation be developed.
Building the Union based on democracy and federalism
In third place, we are building the Union based on democracy and federalism as declared in our objectives. In this regard, the executive power will be delegated to all states and regions in an appropriate manner because the federalism is sharing the power. Regarding federal rights, there are Tables 1, 2, 3 and 5 under the Constitution, which have prescribed fully the right to legislation depending on the level. During our time, we will do our utmost to implement as much as possible the sharing of the powers. We aim to tread on the multiparty democracy path. At this juncture, the political parties play a pivotal role, and so, we have amended the political parties’ registration law.
Efforts to achieve durable peace across the nation
Relating to achieving peace across the nation, we are moving forward as agreed in the NCA – Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement. As the 2008 Constitution has been passed by holding a national referendum, the NCA is a commitment made between the government and the EAOs with the international organizations acting as the witnesses. Thus, peace is being sought on the basis of the 2008 Constitution and the NCA. And positive results have been achieved in discussions with the EAOs. We will continue to make sustained efforts to achieve peace across the nation. This peace process is our fourth task.
Finally, we will convene the election in a free and fair manner and hand over the power to the party that wins the election. In this regard, we need to learn lessons from the 2015 election which was a failure because of vote cheating and the exertion of undue influence by the ruling government. Additionally, there were cases of threatening and giving of pressure on the voters. We also need to enable the indigenous people to win seats in the parliament. Therefore, we need to give enough time to the political parties. Learning from the 2015 election, we must make an all-out effort to hold a free and fair election free from cheating and fraud. In this regard, we need some more time to ensure the accuracy of the voters’ list.
Maintaining international relations
Regarding international relations, we need to maintain good ties with regional groupings and the UN and the neighbouring nations. Nonetheless, we have to safeguard our national sovereignty and protect our national interests. And when it comes to holding the election, this is also our own internal affair.
The Senior General underscored the motto: “Keep Moving Forward to Achieve Our Goal”.
Next, the council members discussed matters relating to stability, peace, salaries of the teachers appointed and assigned in the areas of the indigenous races, scrutiny of online payment, health, education and human resources development.
Then, the SAC Chair replied to the discussions followed by the SAC Vice-Chair DPM Vice-Senior General Soe Win. Afterwards, the Senior General delivered the closing speech. He emphasized that the Council Members should be careful of their behaviours and speeches because they belong to the highest level organization. —MNA
