YANGON – 24 ministers in Aung San Suu Kyi’s deposed Myanmar government have been removed, with 11 new appointments made after the military overthrow of her administration.
In an announcement on state television tonight, former foreign minister Wunna Maung Lwin, who served under ex-general Thein Sein, will return to that role after five years -- taking over a job that Suu Kyi had held while she was de facto national leader.
Myanmar’s army said today it will hold fresh elections and hand power to the winning party once a year-long state of emergency has elapsed, hours after carrying out a coup.
“We will perform real multi-party democracy...with complete balance and fairness,” a statement on the army’s official Facebook page said.
The military claims last year’s election, which saw Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) win in a landslide, was riddled with massive voter fraud.
Unable to accept the result, the army staged a coup earlier today.
International observers had also slammed the polls for depriving ethnic minorities of participating in the vote, though the military itself had not supported such calls for more democratic rights.
The statement was issued hours after the army took power, detaining de facto leader Suu Kyi, declaring a state of emergency and appointing ex-general Myint Swe as acting president.
It said that power will be transferred to the winning party after “holding a free and fair general election and the emergency provisions period is complete.”
According to Myanmar’s constitution – scripted by the army – a nationwide state of emergency can be declared for up to a year.
But given the coup and the army’s near-total control of the country, that timeframe is within their power to change.
In Yangon, the former capital that remains Myanmar’s commercial hub, troops seized the city hall just ahead of the announcement, according to an AFP journalist.
AFP saw several trucks in Yangon carrying army supporters, with Myanmar flags and blaring nationalist songs, and some NLD members reported that security forces had ordered them to stay at home.
People rushed to their neighbourhood grocery stores to stock up on rice, oil and instant noodles. Banks were temporarily closed by the communications freeze, but some were expected to reopen on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, the chief minister of Karen state and several other regional ministers were also held, according to party sources. – AFP, February 1, 2021
