Myanmar’s Suu Kyi Could be “Something Like Sonia Gandhi”

Suu Kyi’s party said that the Nobel peace laureate will be head of ruling party and by extension, lead the government

Myanmar democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi will steer the incoming government of her National League for Democracy (NLD), staying on as party head and is unlikely to take a formal position in the government, the party said on Sunday.

Win Htein, another top NLD leader and Suu Kyi confidant said that Suu Kyi could be “something like Sonia Gandhi”. Suu Kyi herself said in October that her plan was not “quite like that”, but she did not provide details on her plans.

Myanmar’s parliament last week elected Htin Kyaw, a close friend and confidant of the Nobel peace prize laureate, as president, making him the first head of state since the 1960s who does not hail from a military background.

Suu Kyi led the NLD to a historic landslide election win in November, but a constitution drafted by the former junta bars her from the top office because her two children and her late husband do not have Myanmar citizenship.

The party has not clarified how such an arrangement would be implemented, fuelling speculation about possible positions Suu Kyi might assume after the government takes office on April 1.

In the United States, there are many famous lawmakers in the parliament who are very influential, but they don’t take any position in the cabinet. It’s the same here. She will lead the (ruling) party so, she will (by extension) lead the government formed by that party

Zaw Myint Maung, Spokesperson, NLD

Myanmar’s powerful military holds a quarter of parliamentary seats and the constitutional right to nominate one of the three presidential candidates. Its candidate retired general Myint Swe, last week became the country’s first vice president.

Relations between the armed forces and Suu Kyi will define the success of Myanmar’s most significant break from military rule since the army seized power in 1962.