Yangon, Feb 17 (IANS): Myanmar's opposition party, National League for Democracy (NLD), and 88 Generation Peace and Open Society Group, a former students group formed to work for peace and promote civil society in Myanmar, will jointly push for amendments to the country's 2008 constitution, according to a joint statement of the two organisations Monday.
The two said they would work for an amendment to Section 436 in Chapter 12 of the Constitution, calling for the emergence of a genuine democratic union, Xinhua reported.
Section 436 in Chapter 12 of the constitution states that the constitution shall be amended with the prior approval of more than 75 percent of all the representatives of the union parliament, after which a nation-wide referendum only with the votes of more than half of those who are eligible to vote would be held.
The statement followed a meeting here Sunday between the NLD central executive committee members led by the party's chairperson Aung San Suu Kyi and 88 Generation leaders headed by Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi.
The Myanmar union parliament had Feb 3 formed a 31-member Committee for Implementation of the 2008 Constitution Amendment, chaired by U Nanda Kyaw Swa, deputy speaker of parliament.
The implementation committee is tasked to review a report, which includes a wide range of public suggestions, compiled and submitted by parliament's Joint Committee for Review of 2008 Constitution at the end of January.
The implementation committee is also mandated to re-submit a report on constitution amendment to the parliament.
The earlier Joint Committee for Review of 2008 Constitution said it received over 28,247 letters of suggestions from over 20 political parties, legal experts, and government departments including the military and civil societies.
The call for amendment includes Article 59-f of the constitution that was said to have been intentionally drawn by the previous military government to block Aung San Suu Kyi from being eligible to run for presidential election.
The constitutional amendment has been widely sought ahead of the 2015 general election for the next term of government and for establishing peace in the country.
The 194-page 15-chapter Republic of the Union of Myanmar Constitution 2008 was promulgated by the previous military government in May 2008.