May 2nd, 2012
12:54 AM ET

Myanmar's Suu Kyi takes oath of office

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sworn in Wednesday as a lawmaker for the first time, a key step in the country's recent shift toward democracy after decades of repressive military rule.

Suu Kyi, a pro-democracy campaigner who spent years under house arrest, traveled to the parliament in the capital, Naypyidaw, to take up the seat she won in elections last month.

She and 33 other newly elected members of her party, the National League for Democracy, took an oath of office for the lower house of parliament that they had initially refused to accept because of its wording, which called for protection of the country's constitution.

The NLD considers the constitution undemocratic and has said it wants to change it.

The party had asked the Myanmar authorities to adjust the wording of the oath to say that lawmakers would "abide by" the constitution rather than "protect" it.

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Filed under: Myanmar • World
soundoff (4 Responses)
  1. drap

    It's about time! The whole world has been waiting for this news... .

    May 2, 2012 at 1:11 am | Report abuse |
  2. G. Zeus™

    I guess I'm missing some information here.
    Does their consttution have provisions for modifying or adding to it? If so there should be no worries for her in pledging to "protect" it, since modifying it is not clearly delineated as being something to "protect" from. Ohgoodgrief.

    May 2, 2012 at 7:39 am | Report abuse |
  3. Scottish Mama

    Another woman in power to protect the people. OHhhhhhhhhh yeah.

    May 2, 2012 at 10:27 am | Report abuse |
  4. BCohio

    Watch ans see just how much Involvement the UNIONS had in THIS!... These ARE OBAMMYS THUGS!..

    May 3, 2012 at 8:23 am | Report abuse |
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