NDSC meeting: National Defence and Security Council held meeting 2/2022

National Defence and Security Council [NDSC] held its meeting 2/2022 in Nay Pyi Taw on Sunday. 

Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing explained the work undertakings during the period of taking the responsibilities of the State after declaring the State of Emergency and future plans.

Concerning the fact of “The Union Election Commission will be reconstituted and its mandated tasks, including the scrutiny of voter lists, shall be implemented in accordance with the law”, the Senior General said the UEC has already made investigation to 85 political parties from August 2021 to July 2022 in line with the Section 18 of the Political Parties Registration Law and its Bylaw Section 23.

The investigation will be continued to the remaining political parties. For the review of the Election Law and election system, the UEC has organized meetings with the political parties for 4 times during the 18-month period. He added that PanKhin Project has been carrying out across the country in order to issue the identity card to the citizens who are eligible to cast votes in the upcoming elections.

Over 3.4 million citizens are targeted to issue the card during the 18-month period of the project from May 2021 to November 2022. Moreover, a Pilot Project has been carried out since 14th February for cross-checking with ground population census to ensure completeness of basic voter lists.

As of July 25th, the process was completed in 298 townships and is underway in 14 townships. Another 13 townships in Kayah and Chin States and Sagaing and Magwe Regions remain to carry out the process due to the instability, and it needs to carry out the process.

For the fact of “Effective measures will be taken with added momentum to prevent and manage the COVID-19 pandemic”, the infectious rate of COVID-19 and mortality have been decreased with the accelerated efforts for the preventive measures by the government.

For the vaccination process, over 36 million people have completed vaccination as of 26th July. A total of 45 million vaccines have already purchased from China, India and Russia as of July 3. Moreover, over 31 million doses of vaccines have been accepted with the donations from China, India, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan Nippon Foundation, GAVI Covax Facility and AHA Center.

Myanmar also produced the vaccines starting April, and over 4 million doses have already been produced as of July 1st. A contract has already signed to purchase 1.4 million doses of vaccines. He stressed the needs to promote health care services, give awareness for food safety, to use modernized health equipment and medicines and to continue producing COVID-19 vaccines and providing vaccine jabs to cover the whole country.

For the fact of “Actions will be taken to ensure the speedy recovery of businesses from the impact of COVID-19”, the Senior General said the trade volume reached over 31 billion from February 2021 to date with 1 billion surpluses.

Over 2,335 billion kyats loan disbursement have already issued to the farmers and breeders for economic recovery. Arrangements have already made to establish 400 billion kyats separate fund from the National Disaster Management Fund with the permission of the National Level Central Committee for Prevention, Control and Treatment of COVID-19.

He stressed the needs for the workers to return to the work place with cent percent for operating of the private business in normalcy. The Senior General also explained the resuming of international airlines starting April 17th, and efforts for implementing contract farming system for summer paddy, beans and pulses and edible oil crops with the investment of 400 billion kyats in the coming season.

For the fact of “Emphasis will be placed on achieving enduring peace for the entire nation in line with the agreements set out in the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement”, the Senior General said there are 9 time of meetings between the SAC Chairman and EAOs and 75 times of meetings among the Negotiation Committee, EAOs, Political Parties and other organizations during the 18-month period, and the meetings resulted good outcomes for peace process and welfare of the nation and region.

For the fact of “Upon accomplishing the provisions of the state of emergency, free and fair multiparty democratic elections will be held in line with the 2008 Constitution, and further work will be undertaken to hand over State duties to the winning party in accordance with democratic standards”, the Senior General said there are matters to be carried out for holding the election every corner of the country.

It also needs to make arrangements for reforms of the political parties to be in line with the election system and to conduct awareness campaign to the public. The Senior General later asked permission for 6-month extension to the State Administration Council for successful implementation of the state responsibilities.

The Pro Term President U Myint Swe and members of the National Defence and Security Council later made discussion in support of the extension. The Senior General later added that the government is making efforts to implement the 5-point consensus of ASEAN, so also for achieving stability in political and economic sectors.

The Pro Term President announced that with the unanimous agreement of the council members, and with the provisions of Section 421(b) and 425 of the State Constitution, the period of declaring a state of emergency throughout the country has been extended for another 6 months from 1st August 2022” and “all the responsibilities of the state are again handed over to the Chairman of the State Administrative Council” according to Article 419 of the State Constitution.