Democracy always prevails, it’s only
a matter of time. It’s in our history because it’s in our DNA: we search for
justice. By doing so good wins over bad. The evidence in Myanmar lies in a
crushing electoral victory by San Suu Kyi and her party. The first election in
25 years. It happened back in 1990 but the military didn’t accept the result
and we all know that San Suu Kyi was forced to house arrest: they didn’t dare
to put her in jail, democracy was beginning to be accepted. It was just too
early.
This time the military has indicated
that it will not interfere. Though it will retain much of the power: the
elections are just a beginning. Myanmar is still at the start of what will be a
difficult transition from dictatorship to a democratic society. And there’s no
guarantee whether it can be accomplished peacefully because her party will
dominate Parliament but the military will control Interior, Defense and Border
Control. A specific Constitution made by the military in 2008 guarantees them
such power, while banning San Suu Kyi from becoming president: a provision
aimed at excluding her from the nation’s top job.
Will the next president be a member
of her party or the military party? It doesn’t really matter wherefore the
success of Myanmar’s democratic process will depend on the ability of working
with the military, anyway. An alternative would be changing the Constitution which
would require the 75% of Parliament that she doesn’t have. She is a bold woman,
maybe be too much, very defiant, and has already declared she’ll be making all
the decisions behind the scenes. Even more that the Constitution is very silly
(translating: the military dictatorship is silly).
I admire her courage, hoping it will
be enough. Myanmar will achieve a full democratic status, as I said it’s always
only a matter of time. Whether
it’ll happen as a consequence of the
new reality created by Sunday’s election remains to be seen. Plenty of
international support will be needed. We can all do our small part on the
social network, day by day, tweet by tweet. She needs YOUR help, not mine.
Thank you.
….Always humble,
Angiolino
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