Monthly Seminar
An update on the Myanmar by-elections held on 1 April
Date: Monday 24th April 2017
Time: 5:30 for 6pm (refreshments 7-7:30pm)
Venue: Lectorial Room II, North Wing-556, Art West Building, Parkville, The University of Melbourne
Directions: The University can be accessed from Royal Parade by tram 19, Melbourne University stop or from Swanston Street, any tram, at Melbourne University stop. Map
RSVP please, for catering purposes. Email: admin@aummi.edu.au
No charge, but GOLD COIN DONATIONS requested to cover costs.
By-elections were held in Myanmar for 19 seats in Federal and State/Division parliamentary seats on 1 April*. These were the first electoral test of the government formed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy following its landslide victory at the 2015 general elections.
This update will examine what happened and what the implications might be for years ahead, noting that the next general elections will be held in 2020.
- Three seats in the Amyotha Hluttaw (federal upper house, one each Yangon, Bago and Chin)
- Nine seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw (federal lower house, four Yangon, two Shan, one each Rakhine, Mon, Sagaing)
- Seven seats in regional Hluttaws (six Shan State, one Kayah State)
The aggregate outcome saw NLD lose one seat in the Pyithu Hluttaw (Mon State) and one in Kayah State Hluttaw.
Five of the by-elections filled seats where the 2015 election had been cancelled because of violence. Ten of the others were vacant following the resignation of elected members appointed to government offices.
Comment on the results will be provided by persons each of whom has a special insight to offer:
U Toe Zaw Latt, Bureau Chief, Democratic Voice of Burma, By Skype from Yangon.
Mr Ronan Lee, former member of the Queensland Parliament, PhD candidate, Deakin University.
U Teddy Buri, elected in 1990 to the national assembly which was never convened by the military government.
Moderator for the seminar will be Dr Jackie Watts, Councillor, Melbourne City Council.
A question and answer session will be conducted after the talk.
For more information about AMI, please visit: aummi.edu.au/