Post date: Jun 06, 2013 7:44:1 PM
Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has underlined her desire to become the country's president, but says the country's constitution is the "worst... in the world to amend".
NAYPYIDAW, MYANMAR (JUNE 6, 2013) (WEF) - Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Thursday that she will run for president and will work for the constitution to be amended to allow her to do so.
Addressing world leaders and heads of business at a major forum in the capitalNaypyidaw, the Nobel Peace laureate called for the amendment of the military-drafted constitution which prevents her from leading the country.Crafted by the military junta, the constitution blocks anyone whose spouses or children are overseas citizens from running for leadership of the country. Suu Kyi had two sons with her late husband Michael and it is widely believed the clause was included specifically to bar her from running for president.
"Well I'm told that this is the worst constitution in the world to amend... So it's very very difficult, but it's not impossible. And I think it was in an RAF outfit somewhere I heard that during the Second World War they had a motto which was 'we do the impossible every day, miracles must take a little longer'," she told the World Economic Forum.
The government of President Thein Sein has been praised in the past two years for wide-ranging democratic reforms which have led to lifting of most Western sanctions.
Political prisoners have been freed, Suu Kyi has been welcomed into a new parliament and fragile ceasefires have been achieved between Myanmar's warring ethnic minorities.
Suu Kyi was imprisoned by the former military dictatorship for 15 years and her party the National League for Democracy is expected to win the next elections if they are free and fair.