Sein Win Re-elected PM of Government-in-Exile

Burma’s parallel government-in-exile, the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), has re-elected most of the cabinet members who have served it for nearly two decades, including Prime Minister Dr Sein Win.

According to a statement by the Members of Parliament Union—Burma (MPU), the new cabinet lineup of the NCGUB was approved by the Fourth MPU Congress in Malahide, Ireland, which met January 20 to 23.

“We are proud to announce that Dr Sein Win was re-elected as the prime minister on the final day of our congress on 23 January 2009,” said an MPU statement released on Sunday.

The ministers are Bo Hla Tint, Myint Tun, Manko Ban, Tint Swe, Tun Win and Win Hlaing.

The parallel government-in-exile has seven cabinet ministers, including Prime Minister Sein Win. Of the seven ministers, four were re-elected. Three share backgrounds of ethnic groups.

 The MPU currently acts as a parliament for the parallel government-in-exile, and it has authority to elect and reform the government. The MPU consists of 32 members of parliament-elect. The National League of Democracy (NLD) party won 80 percent of the constituencies in the 1990 national election, which was nullified by the military government.

The MPU was established in October 2000, in Dublin, Ireland. The NCGUB was formed in December 1990 in Manerplaw, a Karen rebel stronghold.

The third congress of the MPU was held on the Thai-Burmese border in February 2008, and MP-elect in exile announced that they would reform the parallel government which had come under criticism among some exiled observers for lack of dynamic leadership.
 
The MPU said in its official statement that it will support and facilitate the NLD and other election-winning parties to bring democracy and national reconciliation to the country.

One NCGUB source, who requested anonymity, said that in regard to the 2010 elections outlined by the Burmese junta, the NCGUB stands on the same ground as the NLD, which called for a review of the junta-sponsored constitution in September 2008. At present, the NLD says it has no plans to take part in the 2010 election.

Before the MPU Congress in Ireland, some Burmese exiled dissidents said they expected to see Prime Minister Sein Win replaced, contending that he lacked dynamic leadership abilities.

Sein Win is a cousin of Aung San Suu Kyi, the symbolic leader of the NLD. His new term of office is four years.

Bo Kyi, a leading Burmese dissident in Mae Sot, Thailand, and joint-secretary of the Assistant Association for Political Prisoners-Burma, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that Sein Win was elected prime minister of the parallel government because among leading exiled politicians, he was “honest and the best choice.” 

“Dr. Sein Win will try his best to create better unity among exile groups,” he said.

Critics, however, say they remain skeptical of the reforms and do not expect significant changes or developments for the pro-democracy movement in exile.