Naypyidaw (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi
was officially been sworn into Parliament this morning, taking the oath and her
seat in the Assembly of Burma (pictured). This
is the first official state position covered by the democratic opposition
leader, who has spent 15 of the last 22 years under house arrest for her battle
against the military regime that ruled Myanmar with an iron fist. The
"Lady" arrived in the capital Naypyidaw and, once inside the door of
the Palace, signed the attendance book and took her place along with 33
colleagues as a Member of the National League for Democracy (NLD), completing
the oath that included a commitment to "safeguard" the Constitution.
In
recent days, a bitter debate arose between the government and the opposition,
led by Suu Kyi, who had wanted to promise to "respect" but not "safeguard"
the charter ratified in May 2008,
in a referendum held in full emergency due to Cyclone Nargis
and vitiated by fraud and violations. However,
on the back of dialogue and the will of "the people" the Nobel Laureate
decided to fulfill the oath according to the formula (see AsiaNews 30/04/12 Ban
Ki-moon at Burmese Parliament: Suu Kyi and Thein Sein "united" for democracy). Some
analysts say the protest was taking a "symbolic" stand against the Constitution
a result of corruption and violence, while others consider that it is just a
"waste of time", in "fragile" road of reforms undertaken by
the nation.
For
Aung San Suu Kyi, 66, a
"new chapter" in her political and personal history has begun, after
decades of peaceful - but inflexible - struggle against a military dictatorship
that has tried every means to remove her from public life. On
April 1 last year, the "Lady" won a seat in parliament in elections in
which opposition candidates triumphed. However,
the National Assembly remains firmly in the hands of the military (25% of the
Parliament) and the ruling party close to the army. The
real test will be for the NLD in 2015, when the term of the current president
"reformist" Thein Sein ends, as there is a general vote for a new
parliament.
On
30 April, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon intervened for the first time in
a Burmese Parliament, during a three-day visit where he also met opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi . The
UN's top diplomat urged Suu Kyi and president Thein Sein to continue working
together to strengthen the process of democratization of the nation. Yesterday,
in the historic first face to face with the Nobel Laureate, Ban Ki-moon expressed
appreciation for the "flexibility" of the "Lady", who
always looks - and first of all - to "the
greatest good for his people ". Finally
the invitation - accepted - to attend the UN Headquarters in New York, where the NLD leader will soon travel
on an official visit.