On the 3rd anniversary of the Second Pyidaungsu, Pyithu and Amyotha, Hluttaws yesterday, President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi delivered separate speeches at the ceremony commemorating the event held in he dining hall of the Hluttaw compound in Nay Pyi Taw.

The anniversary event was attended by Vice Presidents U Myint Swe and U Henry Van Thio, Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker U T Khun Myat, Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than, Union Chief Justice U Htun Htun Oo, Chairman of the Constitutional Tribunal U Myo Nyunt, Union Election Commission Chairman U Hla Thein, former speakers of the First Hluttaws Thura U Shwe Mann and U Khin Aung Myint, Pyithu Hluttaw Deputy Speaker U Tun Tun Hein, Union Ministers, the Union Attorney-General, Union Auditor General, Chairman of the Union Civil Service Board, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Chairman of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission, Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman, representatives of the Pyithu and Amyotha Hluttaws, department heads and invited guests.

Firstly, President U Win Myint delivered a speech, followed by State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker delivers speech

Next, U T Khun Myat, incumbent Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw, delivered a speech. He said this ceremony marked the third anniversary of the Second Hluttaws and also signals the eighth year of the Hluttaws’ terms. He said we must continue working together to establish the democratic ideals that would bring benefits for the nation and its people.

He said we must amend the requirements and weaknesses hindering the path to a strong legislative pillar that would support the people’s path to democracy. U T Khun Myat said we must constantly monitor the laws, rules and regulations of the Hluttaw, its processes, and the efficiency of skills and necessary experience of its human resources to gauge if they were in alignment with the existing situation so that the trajectory of the Hluttaws achieved accomplishments and develops.

Only when we success was achieved in these reforms would the legislative pillar be relevant and coherent with modern times and last in continuity, said U T Khun Myat.

He said the current times saw all ethnic races coming together in their collective strength to establish a democratic federal Union that the nation and all its people desire.

He reminded the attendees that everyone responsible understood the importance and gravity of the legislative pillar’s role during these times. He said the lawmakers were the foundation of democracy and stressed that as the Hluttaws became stronger it would strengthen people-centered approaches and the checking power on the other pillars of democracy.

U T Khun Myat said that as we have reached the third year of the Second Hluttaws, the individual capabilities of the MPs and the performances of the various Hluttaw committees were as important as ever.

He reminded the MPs that the legislative pillar was indispensable to a nation and should be firm and strong. Each and every MP must assess and overcome their challenges, weaknesses and requirements to take full responsibility of their assigned duties and accomplish them, said U T Khun Myat.

He said doing so would allow the legislative pillar to stand strong as an achiever of accountability and cooperation for the nation and hopes of all ethnic nationals in the reform processes.

U T Khun Myat said MPs needed to be more vigilant in the remaining Hluttaws’ term and successfully carry out their roles as representatives of the people, lawmaking, and providing checks and balances. He said this would realize the Hluttaw’s motto of “People’s Voice, Hluttaw’s Voice, People’s Will, Hluttaw’s Will, People’s Expectations Hluttaw’s Implementation.”

In conclusion, said the Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker, the Hluttaws needed to continue enacting laws that brought socioeconomic benefits to the nation and its people while balancing and checking the executive and judiciary pillars as the country continued on the path of democracy.

Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker delivers speech

Next, incumbent Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker Mhan Win Khaing Than delivered a speech.

He said as the Second Hluttaws reached their third year, the legislative pillar has amended, repealed, and enacted laws that were coherent with modern times. He expressed his gratitude to the MPs and Hluttaw staff who have tried their best to fulfill the aspirations, desires and hopes of the public.

Mhan Win Khaing Than urged MPs to continue striving for public safety and protection under the law, to enact laws relevant to modern times, and to cast away favoritism to a single party, race, region or personal factors, as the Hluttaw members continued on the path to implementing a democratic system. He told MPs to continue cooperating towards a people-centered democratic system as they carried out their remaining legislative duties either as the Hluttaw, part of a committee, or on an individual basis. Being the representatives of the people, MPs must continue striving for the benefit of the nation and the people as there was no other component more essential than the Hluttaw in enacting laws for the basic rights, democracy, and socioeconomic development of the people, said Mahn Win Khaing Than.

For the entire Union to achieve uniform development across its highlands and flatlands, MPs needed to listen and understand the wishes and requirements of the people to be true to the Hluttaw’s motto of “People’s Voice, Hluttaw’s Voice, People’s Will, Hluttaw’s Will, People’s Expectations, Hluttaw’s Implementation” said the Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker. He concluded by urging the attendees to use their experience gained over the three years of the Second Hluttaws, and to base them on Union spirit, as the people headed towards a peaceful and developed democratic federal Union together.

Ceremony to confer commemoration gifts

Following the speeches from the two Hluttaw Speakers, the Hluttaw anniversary commemoration gift ceremony began.

The Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker conferred commemoration gifts to the President and the State Counsellor. The Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker conferred commemoration gifts to the main contributors for successfully convening the Hluttaw sessions: the Union Ministers of the ministries of Information, Transport and Communications, Electricity and Energy, and the deputy minister of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Deputy Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw conferred commemoration gifts to the Union Ministers of the ministries of Health and Sports, Construction, and the Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman.

The Deputy Speaker also conferred commemoration gifts to a representative for successfully showing the film ‘Naung Twim U-Dan Twin Say Mye’ (To be passed down as utterances in the future), which was shown to commemorate the third anniversary of the Second Hluttaws.

Afterwards, the President, State Counsellor, Vice Presidents, and the Speakers of the Pyithu and Amyotha Hluttaws, joined the other attendees in the anniversary luncheon reception.

After the lunch reception, the President, State Counsellor, Vice Presidents, and the Speakers of the Pyithu and Amyotha Hluttaws cordially greeted the attendees and then viewed the commemorative film for the anniversary. —MNA (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)