Burmese elections

[Kaboomlandia]

Great step for Burma. Now all the country has to do is get rid of the 25% that the army still holds.

[The Republic of American Freedom]

Great step for Burma. Now all the country has to do is get rid of the 25% that the army still holds.

Pretty sure Rambo took care of that.

[Purpelia]

Is that 25% a flat thing or just the base minimum? As in if it's the minimum I can't see why the military would not found a puppet party to get extra seats. There are bound to be people (like say everyone in the army and their families) who'd vote for them.

[Tolko Temnota]

Is that 25% a flat thing or just the base minimum? As in if it's the minimum I can't see why the military would not found a puppet party to get extra seats. There are bound to be people (like say everyone in the army and their families) who'd vote for them.

I believe it's flat, but the current ruling party (prior to the most recent election) is basically a puppet of the military already. IIRC, the Tatmadaw actually has a very high approval rating among the population, so they would definitely get some votes (and they did).

[Mike from Progressive]

Suu Kyi has some autocratic tendencies herself from what I understand.

[Kvatchdom]

Suu Kyi has some autocratic tendencies herself from what I understand.

What would you expect? The idea of freedom is not the same everywhere.

[Mike from Progressive]

Suu Kyi has some autocratic tendencies herself from what I understand.

What would you expect? The idea of freedom is not the same everywhere.

I don't recall having any expectations.

[Tolko Temnota]

Suu Kyi has some autocratic tendencies herself from what I understand.

Like what? She seems extremely supportive of democracy to me.

[Mike from Progressive]

Suu Kyi has some autocratic tendencies herself from what I understand.

Like what? She seems extremely supportive of democracy to me.

Do you live in Burma?

[Tolko Temnota]

Like what? She seems extremely supportive of democracy to me.

Do you live in Burma?

No, and I don't see how that's relevant. We have the Internet for a reason, and unless Ms. Suu Kyi has an extremely effective secret Internet propaganda campaign, she's not really what one would call "autocratic". The worst thing about her that I can find is her silence on the issue of Rohingya Muslims, which was wise for her politically due to the unfavorable views of many Burmese on the topic.

[Geilinor]

Pity that the UDSP is set for a thrashing at the polls, Thein Sein seemed like a pretty decent President.

Considering that Thein Sein was still oppressing people and leads a corrupt government, what do you even mean?

[Geilinor]

My mistake, a more appropriate term would be the military wielding their parliamentary votes to potentially block any legislation they consider to be running contrary to their interests.

Why do you assume a quarter of the votes is enough to block legislation pushed by >66% (or whatever percentage of seats they officially get, plus minority parties that agree with them) of the Assembly of the Union?

The military has the power to block constitutional amendments. They can still do whatever they want.

[Tolko Temnota]

Why do you assume a quarter of the votes is enough to block legislation pushed by >66% (or whatever percentage of seats they officially get, plus minority parties that agree with them) of the Assembly of the Union?

The military has the power to block constitutional amendments. They can still do whatever they want.

True, but most pieces of legislation aren't constitutional amendments.

[Geilinor]

The military has the power to block constitutional amendments. They can still do whatever they want.

True, but most pieces of legislation aren't constitutional amendments.

Burma will be stuck with its unfair system as long as the military wants it. We can't forget who the real power is.

[Ganos Lao]

So will they do something to address the systematic persecution and disenfranchisement of the Rohingya, or will it continue under the banner of Fighting Terrorism?

After all the Rohingya were disenfranchised from this election.

Technically, they're still in a civil war (since the 4th of January, 1948), with many groups all competing with the militarists. It's not just the Rohingya, but the Karen, Karenni, Kachin, and the Shan. Some groups want more autonomy, while others want full independence. Any new government is going to have to inherit a real mess of a situation. It doesn't help that Al-Qaeda also vowed to do something about the situation as pertains to the Rohingya as well.

[Tolko Temnota]

True, but most pieces of legislation aren't constitutional amendments.

Burma will be stuck with its unfair system as long as the military wants it. We can't forget who the real power is.

You're right, but I'm just saying that some less significant legislation will be able to be passed that will help liberalize Burma a bit. The Tatmadaw will still hold significant power and that probably won't change anytime soon, sadly.

[The Greater Aryan Race]

Pity that the UDSP is set for a thrashing at the polls, Thein Sein seemed like a pretty decent President.

Considering that Thein Sein was still oppressing people and leads a corrupt government, what do you even mean?

Considering that Thein Sein helped spearhead the first real political reforms in Myanmar, while liberalizing and opening up the economy, cobbling another ceasefire with ethnic rebel groups all the while having to navigate his way around more headline elements in the military and USDP, some of that criticism seems a tad unfair no?

[Saiwania]

She must not be allowed to take power, the Burmese military ought to call the results a sham and hold another one and if she wins again, maybe one of theirs which is in second place can be chosen instead.

[Ganos Lao]

She must not be allowed to take power, the Burmese military ought to call the results a sham and hold another one and if she wins again, maybe one of theirs which is in second place can be chosen instead.

Why?

[Tolko Temnota]

She must not be allowed to take power, the Burmese military ought to call the results a sham and hold another one and if she wins again, maybe one of theirs which is in second place can be chosen instead.

Poe's Law? Can't tell if serious...

[Gauthier]

She must not be allowed to take power, the Burmese military ought to call the results a sham and hold another one and if she wins again, maybe one of theirs which is in second place can be chosen instead.

Why?

She must not be allowed to take power, the Burmese military ought to call the results a sham and hold another one and if she wins again, maybe one of theirs which is in second place can be chosen instead.

Poe's Law? Can't tell if serious...

White supremacist. Serious. Can't let Those Ignorant Slant-Eyes run their own government without the guidance of the White Man. *nod nod*

[Tolko Temnota]

Why?

Poe's Law? Can't tell if serious...

White supremacist. Serious. Can't let Those Ignorant Slant-Eyes run their own government without the guidance of the White Man. *nod nod*

Pretty odd how someone called "The Greater Aryan Race" is actually pretty sane and not a white supremacist or authoritarian, while someone with the name "Saiwania", which sounds vaguely Asian to me, is quite the opposite.

[Saiwania]

Why?

She has been under house arrest for far too long to govern effectively. The last thing Myanmar needs is a revolution that upsets the status quo they've worked hard to establish. They can follow China's example much easier and it will be more efficient if there is one party to chose from but different candidates from within said party.

[Tolko Temnota]

Why?

She has been under house arrest for far too long to govern effectively. The last thing Myanmar needs is a revolution that upsets the status quo they've worked hard to establish. They can follow China's example much easier and it will be more efficient if there is one party to chose from but different candidates from within said party.

Ah, I love the smell of fake democracy in the morning. Although it's night where I'm at, so it's really not doing much for me.

Anyway, the military, which is very influential in the party that ruled prior to this election (and I believe is still technically in power) is the one that put her under house arrest...for winning the 1990 election. And they're the party which would be in power if Aung's party were disqualified, for something that they did to her. Golly gee, what a coincidence.

Anyway, she's been out of house arrest for five years now, and this is exactly what Myanmar needs. The fact that an autocratic regime has been in power for so long now doesn't mean "oh well, nothing we can do to change it now". And I wouldn't really call it a "revolution", just a change in government.

[Ganos Lao]

Why?

She has been under house arrest for far too long to govern effectively. The last thing Myanmar needs is a revolution that upsets the status quo they've worked hard to establish. They can follow China's example much easier and it will be more efficient if there is one party to chose from but different candidates from within said party.

So essentially you're saying they should just stay a dictatorship? Why even bother with the elections at all then?