President U Win Myint met with Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman, Council members, Nay Pyi Taw Development Committee members, Hluttaw representatives, Nay Pyi Taw Council districts and townships level departmental officials at the Nay Pyi Taw Council Office Zabuthiri Hall yesterday morning and delivered a guidance speech.
The meeting was also attended by Union Ministers Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe, U Min Thu, Dr. Aung Thu and U Han Zaw and officials.

In his guidance speech the President said the meeting was organized with the aim of increasing the reform in the country and the ultimate goal of all was the determination to establish a Democratic Federal Republic.

Stability, peace and development can only be achieved when the country became a democratic country. Our country consists of various ethnic nationals and only with the participation of all can a federal union be established and only with the participation and cooperation of all relevant officials and the citizens of the country can success be achieved.

It is the law of life that changes were happening all the time. Only when we go along with this flow of change could our country develop and our citizens’ socio-economic life be raised and at the same time there would be peace and prosperity in the country.

Some dread and fear reform. Reform is nothing to be worried about. It is a good friend for our country. Reform is not a threat. It is an opportunity for future generations to come to achieve happiness.

Any country at any time with any system will not develop without reform. At this age of globalization we must be able to go along with the flow in order to have sustained development of the national economy.

A democratic system is a support for a federal union and a federal union helps to strengthen a democratic system. That was why we were determined to establish a democratic federal republic.

The administrative system that we want is the administrative system set-down by our national martyred leader, architect of independence, and father of the Tatmadaw Bogyoke Aung San. It must be fair and just politically, economically and socially. The democratic foundation will be strong and firm only when justice and fairness prevails in each and every civil society. Without fairness and justice the democratic foundation would not be stable and it would be difficult to establish a stable, peaceful and prosperous nation.

To be fair and just politically, economically and socially means all having equal rights and opportunities. All our citizens and organizations must be at the same level with equal opportunities and rights. All are equal in the face of the law and no one must be above the law.

Establishing a democratic federal republic meant transforming from an old system to a new system. In doing this, we must seek out new paths and roads from the old path and road. If we continued to think and act in the same old way, we would not go far on our road to reform.

If the responsible authorities in each departmental organization themselves were not changing, they would not be able to change others. We must do our duty towards our future generation. The future generations will decide whether we have performed the historical duties and the duties assigned to us by the country. We must perform our duties in the best way, systematically and according to the law.

We must take lessons from the past in performing our duties. Only when we sow the seeds of democratic reform during our term could the country be peaceful and prosperous and the citizens have equal rights. We understand the livelihood difficulties faced by the public service personnel. But they must not oppress the people, abuse power and be corrupt because of the difficulties they face.

Public service personnel are to abide by the civil service laws, rules, procedures and instructions. We have been relaxing centralization to establish a federal union and for democracy to flourish. A democratic system has mutual checks and balances. The advantage of democracy is check and balance not based on love or hate. The works of the administrative sector must be overseen and controlled by the legislative sector. But it must not interfere in the administrative sector. In the same way, the administrative sector must not interfere in the judiciary sector. The judiciary sector also must not interfere in the legislative sector.

When Hluttaw representatives raised questions or tabled motions, it must be within the limitation of laws and rules enacted for the Hluttaw. In addition to this, the question and motion’s future impact on the country must not be overlooked too.

Questions and motions that ought to be raised and tabled should be the one raised and tabled. This is mutual understanding and mutual respect. Only with this mutual trust can the Hluttaw and administrative sector check and balance each other.

Hluttaw representatives need to be given due regard and consulted when administrative organizations implement regional development projects. Hluttaw representatives also need to coordinate with administrative organizations for development of their region and constituencies.

The judiciary needs to be free and independent. Judgments must be true and according to the laws. Every judiciary judgment must follow the respective laws.

We were working toward rule of law. Only when there is rule of law could the democratic administrative machinery function well. A democratic administrative system could emerge only when there was rule of law. The judiciary system we want is an unbiased judiciary.

Furthermore the administrative machinery that we wanted is one that supported rule of law. It must be administrative machinery that gives freedom, security and happiness to the people. Only then could we establish rule of law. We must all look beyond our ego and work for reform. We would not be successful if we were ego-centric. If we were civic-centric or citizen-centric our works will be successful, we would be dignified and our country would develop. For the sake of our people, prosperity and peace of the country, all in attendance were asked to work hand in hand with strong enthusiasm from this moment to increase the momentum of reform, said the President.

Next Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman Dr. Myo Aung explained about regional development works conducted and to be conducted in Nay Pyi Taw Council area.
The President commented on Nay Pyi Taw Council to conduct development works without wasting state funds and ensure full work quality.

Nay Pyi Taw Council need to ensure the quality of housing constructed for the public servants and surprise inspections should be conducted. Public servants on the other hand were to perform their duties to the full. The government was placing great emphasis toward drug eradication and responsible officials should not turn a blind eye to drug offences and participate in exposing and capturing the perpetrators.

Anti-corruption works were also being conducted effectively. Anti-corruption groups were formed in ministerial departments. Anti-corruption commission sub-offices were opened in Mandalay and Yangon and will be opened in other states and regions. Public servants need to participate and help in the anti-corruption work processes.

Proper assessments need to be made on conducting projects so that public funds were not wasted. Hluttaw representatives also need to ensure the correctness of the project cost and the region’s requirement of the project. Public funds must be used for the benefit of the public in accordance with financial regulations and rules.
A fair and just policy was laid for resolving farm land and other land issues. Hluttaw representatives, farm land and other land assessment groups are to clear the cases systematically and speedily according to the policy laid down.

We must abide by and obey the law, be just and fair, magnanimous and compassionate if we want democracy. Works were to be conducted transparently, responsibly, dutifully, predictably and cooperatively in a good democratic administrative system. Only then could a democratic federal republic be established successfully. Work processes and policies set by the Union Government were to be implemented by the Nay Pyi Taw Council. Only through correct and quick decisions and conduct of Nay Pyi Taw Council would the works be successful. All in attendance today are to put their best mental and physical efforts in the government’s reform journey. All must cooperate toward making local people in the Nay Pyi Taw Council area live peacefully and happily in the capital city, said the President.

After the meeting the President cordially greeted all in attendance and then met separately with Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman, Nay Pyi Taw Council members and Nay Pyi Taw development committee members to have discussions and give guidance on Nay Pyi Taw development work processes. — MNA (Translated by Zaw Min)