Constitution can only be changed in next government term: Myanmar speaker

Myanmar's constitution can only be amended in the next government term and the upcoming 2015 general elections will be held under the existing 2008 constitution, Union Parliament Speaker U Shwe Mann told a press conference in Nay Pyi Taw Tuesday.

A nationwide referendum on amendment of the constitution will be held in May 2015 before the general elections, he said, adding that the constitution amendment would be implemented by the next term of the parliament after the 2015 general elections.

In a recent debate in parliament, the non-elected military MPs, who account for 25 percent of the legislative body, opposed the widespread call for constitutional change, including the change of two sensitive sections -- Section 436 and 59(f).

U Shwe Mann said amendment of Section 436 depended mainly on the president and the commander-in-chief of the defence services, while Section 59(f) dealt with the basic rights of a citizen rather than aiming to block opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from running for president, Xinhua reported.

Myanmar's main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), in collaboration with the 88-Generation Students Peace and Open Society, presented to the parliament in August for further action results of its cross-country signature campaign in support of altering the constitution

The nearly two-month-long campaign from May 27 to July 19 collected 4.94 million signatures supporting the amendment of the Section 436.

Section 436 prescribes that constitution amendment needs the approval of more than 75 percent of all members of parliament (MPs), while Section 59(f) bars anyone from the presidency whose parents, spouse, legitimate offspring or spouses of offspring are foreign citizens.

The 194-page 15-chapter Republic of the Union of Myanmar Constitution 2008 was promulgated by the previous military government in May 2008.

The next general elections are set to take place in late 2015.