Largely unknown to the public just a few weeks ago, U Htin Kyaw will take centre-stage today when he delivers his first speech to the nation as its first elected, non-military president for more than 50 years.
The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw is scheduled to convene at 10am when the president and his two vice presidents – former general U Myint Swe and ethnic Chin Christian Henry Van Thio – finally take their oaths of office at the end of the long transition period following last November’s elections.
The president’s 18 ministers, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who is barred by the constitution from serving as head of government, will then take their oaths of office, joined by the new members of the Union Election Commission and the Constitutional Tribunal.
The contents of U Htin Kyaw’s subsequent speech to parliament are a closely guarded secret within the National League for Democracy. Its authorship is also uncertain, given that the 69-year-old former academic is widely acknowledged as the NLD leader’s proxy.
But the speech will be closely watched for indications of the NLD’s reform agenda, which has still not yet been clearly enunciated by party leaders beyond a number of broad themes.
In his 2011 inaugural presidential address, former general U Thein Sein gave a wide-ranging and at times striking policy speech about his government’s plans for a “democratic transition” over the next five years. He spoke of the “hell of untold miseries” caused by decades of civil war and elaborated his administration’s policies for a more market-driven economy, as well as health, education and other sectors.
Few believed him at the time after nearly five decades of military rule. But having completed his five-year term and his pledge to hand over to a democratically elected government – even if it must still share power with the military – U Thein Sein is scheduled to preside over a formal transfer-of-power ceremony at the presidential palace at 1pm.
U Htin Kyaw is to hold a gala dinner for selected guests, including foreign ambassadors, in the evening.
Journalists from around 20 media organisations have been invited to the power-transfer ceremony and dinner.
