Myanmar six-party talks agree on three points

Myanmar's first six-party talks, which were held in capital Nay Pyi Taw on Friday to discuss domestic political issues, have agreed on three points, presidential spokesman U Ye Htut told a press conference.

The two-hour six-party talks involved President U Thein Sein, Speaker of the House of Representatives (lower house) U Shwe Mann, Speaker of the House of Nationalities (upper house) U Khin Aung Myint, Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and parliament member of the Upper House Aye Maung, who is chairman of the Arakan National Party (ANP) selected to represent ethnic communities.

U Ye Htut, who is also minister of information, said the participants agreed on the framework of the meeting, format of the meeting and holding of the next meeting, Xinhua news agency reported.

The framework includes constitution amendment, peace process, free and fair elections and stability of the state after the elections, he stated.

The participants agreed to hold the next meeting when the parliament session, scheduled for May 11, starts again.

The participants also agreed that the six-party talks were successful, while U Ye Htut said "this meeting will make amending the constitution smooth".

U Aye Maung, who represented ethnic communities, also told the press conference that the six parties will meet for at least three to four times, and then only results would be achieved.

Parliament's motion calling for the six-party talks was first put forward on November 25 last year by a member of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the proposal was re-made by the parliament in January this year.

Two days before the six-party talks, U Thein Sein had also met 44 political leaders, ethnic affairs ministers and representatives of ethnic communities.

Myanmar has planned general elections for November. The country's last general elections were held in November 2010, in which U Thein Sein-led USDP won the majority of the parliamentary seats, while the opposition National League for Democracy ((NLD) boycotted the elections.