The 23rd day Pyithu Hluttaw session took place at Pyithu Hluttaw Hall in Hluttaw Complex here today, attended by Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann and 343 MPs.

At the session, affirmation was taken, one bill ratified and parliamentary matters explained. The name list of the 37 elected as Pyithu Hluttaw representatives in the 1st April by-elections was announced with Notification No. 17/2012 and No. 20/2012 of the Union Election Commission and 34 of those 37 attended the today’s session.

Under the Section 8 (b) of the Pyithu HLuttaw Law, 34 Hluttaw representatives took affirmation in the presence of the Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker.

Foreign Currency Expenditure Bill, which was sent back to the Pyithu Hluttaw with the amendments of Amyotha Hluttaw was approved as no proposal was made by Pyithu Hluttaw representatives for further amendments of the bill.

The Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker clarifying parliamentary affairs, said today was the 23rd day and also the final day of the third regular session of the First Pyithu Hluttaw. The third regular session lasted for over three months from 26 January to 2 May 2012. As it was presented on the very first day of the Hluttaw session, the session was intended to table, discuss and approve the national planning and budget bills at the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw.

However, Pyithu Hluttaw sessions were held against the tight schedule, 23 rounds of meeting could be held in total during which 516 questions were asked, and 25 proposals were submitted. In detail, 516 questions were replied—126 marked questions were replied verbally, 129 marked questions replied in black and white, 253 non-marked questions replied in letter, and 8 questions withdrawn.

25 proposals were submitted to the Pyithu Hluttaw—16 approved, six recorded and one sent to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw and two withdrawn. Seven bills were ratified as laws and had been made public. Out of 16 bills initially submitted to the Pyithu Hluttaw, three had been promulgated as laws, one yet to be enacted, five in process, two withdrawn, one recorded and four remaining for further action. Of the five bills initially submitted at the Amyotha Hluttaw, one was resolved as law with the approval of the Pyithu Hluttaw, one yet to be enacted and three in process.

In summary, seven had been enacted, two yet to be promulgated, eight in process, two withdrawn, one recorded and four remaining for further action. Eight in process and four remaining would be proceeded in the coming fourth session of the Hluttaw. Submitting and ratifying of questions, proposals, and bills in the available time would bring about benefits to the people, protecting their rights. The Speaker then appreciated the strenuous efforts and active cooperation of the all the MPs, committees and commissions including the Bill Committee.

The Hluttaw Speaker noted that he had to coordinate with ministries concerned, and related Union level organizations respecting the separate proposals of the MPs for the people their constituencies concerned in addition to questions and proposals of the MPs. Moreover, the Speaker had held discussions and made coordination with Hluttaw committees, legal affairs and special cases assessment commission and civil society.

In the third regular session of the First Pyithu Hluttaw, members of some Hluttaw committees and legal affairs and special cases assessment commission could be reshuffled and reassigned as required and rights and privileges of the commission members were set, which would strengthen and enhance the competency of committees and commissions and contribute much to parliamentary functions.

The two main duties of the Hluttaw were legislation and check and balance. According to the analysis of the legal affairs and special cases assessment commission, there were 401 existing laws when the new government took the office and since then five were cancelled as proposed by the Hluttaw. So the number of the existing laws stood 396. During the second session of the First Pyithu Hluttaw 15 laws were amended and enacted and 11 in the third regular session.

In addition, 16 laws were under discussion in the parliament, 14 were proposed by the Pyithu Hluttaw to amend and 20 being prepared for amendment by respective Union level committees, totaling 50 laws proposed for amendment. The legal affairs and special cases assessment commission had also proposed to re-draw the seven laws and thus there had been 57 laws to be amended, cancelled and reenacted.

It would take time to discuss, amend and enact all the laws. If the constitution was to be considered as a law, there had been 397 existing laws so far.

Engaged in legislation, Hluttaw committees, commissions and MPs who had to shoulder the responsibilities of the Hluttaw and Hluttaw Speaker were to coordinate with Union government and Union level organizations concerned to amend, cancel and re-draw the laws after assessing the existing laws enacted for said fields. In so doing, they were to act seriously analyzing whether a law could protect the interests of the nation and its people, whether it was in conformity with the constitution, international laws, dogmatism, conventions and treaties contracted by the country.

They while checking whether the rules and regulations, order, instructions, notifications and procedure manuals concerned with the laws enacted by the Hluttaw were in line with original laws, were bound to make sure all the organizations in the State and citizens abide by those laws. Hluttaw representatives had responded well in unison and unity without party attachment, dogmatism, regionalism, racism, and sectarianism to the urges of the Speaker and thus parliamentary works could be done effectively and successfully. The Hluttaw had appreciated and recorded the actions of all the representatives who discuss and suggest for ratification of national planning and budget bills which were of crucial importance to interests of the nation and its people.

In conclusion, Hluttaw representatives, being the people’s representatives were to put public interests and national interests in the fore, learning and assessing the voices, wishes and aspirations of the people. In so doing, they had to abide by the existing laws including the constitution and cooperate in unity and unison under the laws. While the Hluttaw was adjourned, MPs were to visit the people in their respective constituencies to explain functions of the Hluttaw to them and to learn the difficulties and requirements of the people so as to fulfill their needs under the laws.

In conclusion, Hluttaw representatives were to try hard to be loyal, and dutiful people’s representatives who could serve the interests of the nation and its people, urged the Speaker in seriousness.

The session came to an end at 10.35 am, marking the successful completion of the third regular session of the First Pyithu Hluttaw.