Myanmar President hails ‘triumph’ of transition

President Thein Sein hailed the “triumph” of Myanmar’s transition of power Thursday, in a last address to a military-dominated Parliament before it makes way for a historic new legislature led by Aung San Suu Kyi’s pro-democracy party.

The Southeast Asian nation, choked for decades under junta rule, is on the cusp of a remarkable political handover after Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy thundered to victory in November elections. “Even though there were difficulties and challenges, we were able to bring a democratic transformation eventually,” Mr Sein said addressing the military-stacked legislature for the last time. “This is a triumph for all Myanmar’s people,” he added. Mr Sein, who under drawn-out handover rules retains his post until the end of March, has been a key player in Myanmar’s astonishing reform process.

He was among a host of military figures who shed their uniforms to form a government in 2011. Initially that government was viewed with suspicion as a civilian front for the Army’s continued domination. While the Army retains major clout — a quarter of parliamentary seats are ring-fenced for unelected soldiers — sweeping political and economic reforms have surprised the international community and encouraged a flood of foreign investment.

Meanwhile, the NLD party in led by Aung San Suu Kyi announced ethnically diverse choices Thur-sday for leadership of the legislature as it prepares to take over the government from a military-backed party after Parliament convenes Monday.

NLD executive Win Thein told reporters that it will nominate a member of the Burman ethnic majority, Win Myint, for Lower House Speaker and an ethnic Kachin, Ti Khun Myat, for his deputy. It will propose a Karen, Win Khaing Than, for Speaker of the Upper House, and an Arakanese, Aye Thar Aung, for his deputy. In what is seen as another gesture toward unity and reconciliation, the proposed deputies come from other parties. Ti Khun Myat is a member of the Union Solidarity and Devel-opment Party, the outgoing ruling party, and Aye Thar Aung is from the Arakan National Party, one of the better-performing ethnic parties in the election representing a politically volatile area.