NAYPYITAW, (Reuters) – Myanmar’s Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi said yesterday her opposition would ally with powerful ousted ruling party leader Shwe Mann, as the country’s political forces re-align in the biggest shake-up since the end of military rule.
President Thein Sein purged rival Shwe Mann and his allies from the Ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in dramatic fashion last week, just months before a landmark election.
“It is now clear who is the enemy and who is the ally,” Suu Kyi told reporters at the country’s parliament, when asked if Shwe Mann’s sacking had cost her an ally. “The National League for Democracy will work with the ally.”
She did not detail how they would work together. As chairman of the USDP, Shwe Mann sought to build ties with Suu Kyi, which sparked suspicion among some members of the ruling party and contributed to his sacking. The USDP is made up of many former military officers.
Shwe Mann had antagonised the military by backing Suu Kyi’s campaign to reform the constitution to limit the sway of the generals over Myanmar’s politics.
She is banned from the presidency under a constitution drafted by the military before it handed over power in 2011. The armed forces hold a veto over any charter changes.
