Myanmar's ruling party clashes with military over charter change proposal

Constitutional reform was a central pillar of the NLD's platform ahead of the 2015 general election, but little progress has been made as leaders have proved reluctant to confront the military

Myanmar’s ruling party clashed with military lawmakers on Tuesday as it proposed steps towards changing the constitution, its biggest challenge in nearly three years to the army’s power over politics as enshrined in the charter.

Military members of parliament, clad in green uniforms, rose to their feet and stood in silence as parliament voted to approve the first stage of a proposal to form a committee on amending the constitution.

The proposal could foment tension between the army and Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), who have been at loggerheads over the charter since the party’s historic