My Myanmar friend explained the background for the by-election that was just recently held in Myanmar
http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC120402-0000045/Myanmar-opposition-claims-Suu-Kyi-win
Under the constitution, the ministers are selected from the people elected into Parliament. To avoid conflict of interest, they have to vacate their seat in Parliament and work on their government jobs on a full time basis. This is why there is a need to have a by-election to find replacement in Parliament for these appointed ministers.
I find this arrangement to be a good arrangement - and hope that, one day, Singapore will adopt this practice. There is one positive aspect that we can be learned about democracy in Myanmar.
http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC120402-0000045/Myanmar-opposition-claims-Suu-Kyi-win
Under the constitution, the ministers are selected from the people elected into Parliament. To avoid conflict of interest, they have to vacate their seat in Parliament and work on their government jobs on a full time basis. This is why there is a need to have a by-election to find replacement in Parliament for these appointed ministers.
I find this arrangement to be a good arrangement - and hope that, one day, Singapore will adopt this practice. There is one positive aspect that we can be learned about democracy in Myanmar.
1 comment:
A prospective minister must first be elected into Parliament to be eligible as minister.
After becoming minister, he must resign from Parliament to allow a by-election for someone else to take over as Parliamentary representative for his constituency.
The benefit is the minister can fully devote himself to his ministry while the MP can fully devote himself to take care of the constituency as an MP.
This only sounds good on half a piece of a paper.
Consider the other half - what will happen during next election?
Mr Alpha had successfully ran to be MP of Constituency A.
Mr Alpha became a Minister and resigned as MP.
Mr Beta now contests successfully in the by-election to be MP of Constituency A.
Mr Alpha did a good job as minister and Mr Beta did a good job as MP.
Next election, who runs and who wins?
If they're from same party, is Mr Beta, who had actually did all the good work as MP, not going to contest and instead let Mr Alpha run for MP again, presuming Mr Alpha will be minister and Mr Beta will takeover as MP in by-election?
And supposed Mr Alpha did become MP but failed to become minister, Mr Beta would be left in the political wilderness.
Or if both Mr Alpha and Mr Beta ran in the election against each other and other candidates, how's the electorate supposed to choose?
One did a good job as minister but no guarantee electing him will make him minister.
The other did a good job as MP, but electing Mr Beta as MP will mean Mr Alpha will not have a chance to be minister.
Or is it a case of "never mind, whoever got to be MP first gets chance to be minister."
Wouldn't that be a farce?
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