Myanmar parliament to approve nominees of new cabinet members

U Htin Kyaw submitted to the Union Parliament his proposal of government reformation last Thursday, in which some of the ministries are to be combined into one, such as the merging of seven ministries at the President's Office to one and merging of closely identical ministries to one.

Of the designated 21 ministries, three ministries of Defense, Border Affairs and Home Affairs are to be run by the military with related ministers to be named by it under the constitution.

One new ministry, which is the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs, is added to among the 21 ministries, indicating that the new government attaches importance to ethnic affairs which are to be separately dealt with to boost national reconciliation.

According to spokesperson of the ruling NLD Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, Aung San Suu Kyi, in addition to the post of chairperson of the party, is likely to take up some ministerial posts to hold in check the government in her capacity of chairperson of the ruling party.

Last week, Myanmar's Parliamentary House of Representatives (Lower House) has appointed Aung San Suu Kyi as chairperson of the Joint Coordination Committee for Development of Parliamentary Affairs.

Meanwhile, some MPs of the former ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) are circulated as having the chance to be nominated by the president-elect to take up some ministerial posts along with outsider experts, while NLD MPs will stand the lesser percent in the cabinet.

U Htin Kyaw of the NLD, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the presidential race last week with the highest number of votes of 360 against two other presidential candidates -- U Myint Swe (213 votes) from the military and U Henry Van Htio (previously spelled as U Henry Van Htee Yu) (79 votes) from the same party, becoming the country's new president for the next five-year term.

The new government is initially set to be sworn in on March 30 at the parliament while the handover of the duties of head of state is due to be carried out at the Presidential Palace.

The Union Parliament comprising two Houses is shared by NLD with 390 MPs or 59.36 percent, USDP with 41 or 6.24 percent, other parties and individuals with 60 or 9.132 percent and the military representatives with 166 or 25.26 percent.