YANGON (AFP) -
Myanmar's
president has urged the creation of a new ministry for Aung San Suu
Kyi's state advisor position, official media reported on Friday, a move
that will deepen her influence and likely rile the powerful army.
Suu
Kyi is barred from the presidency by the military-drafted constitution
despite having led her pro-democracy party to a landslide victory in
November.
She has instead hoovered up a slew of other senior
positions, including foreign minister, president's officer minister, and
the specially-devised role of state counsellor, which gives her
vaguely-defined powers to guide parliamentary affairs.
The broad
array of powers across government has helped the veteran activist fulfil
a pledge to rule "above" her presidential proxy and close ally Htin
Kyaw.
Shortly after taking office she used her role as state counsellor to announce a major political prisoner release in April.
She
has also met with a host of foreign dignitaries and on Friday
accompanied Htin Kyaw on a trip to Laos, his first international visit
as president.
The proposal for a ministry to support her role "is
intended to speed up the government's efforts at national
reconciliation, internal peace, national development and the rule of
law", the English language state newspaper Global New Light of Myanmar
reported Friday.
Parliamentary debate on the proposal is set to take place next week.
That
discussion will likely feature objections from military MPs who
registered strong opposition when the state counsellor position was
created specifically for Suu Kyi.
Other MPs expressed bemusement at the plans.
"A
new ministry is not really needed for the national reconciliation and
peace process. But I won't stand against the proposal," said Ba Sein
from the Arakan National Party.
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy can comfortably pass most of its bills because of its hefty majority.
Myanmar's
first civilian government in generations faces formidable challenges in
a nation wracked with poverty, corruption and conflict after decades of
military domination.
Few concrete policy details have emerged in
the administration's initial weeks in power, although it has vowed to
streamline the bureaucracy by combining ministries and cutting the
number of cabinet posts.
The government also freed scores of
political prisoners and those facing controversial trials for rallies
against the previous quasi-civilian leadership.
© 2016 AFP
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