Pastor Timothy, President of the Advent Christian Conference of Myanmar (ACCM) has written thanking us for our prayers for the political situation in his country over recent years and asking us to pray specifically for the election for a President of the country which takes place on Tuesday 15 March.
The election is for President from one of three Vice Presidents as below. The two who are not elected will remain as First and Second Vice Presidents.
The candidates are…
- Mr Htin Kyaw from Lower house from the National League for Democracy (NLD).
- Mr Henry Van from upper house from the National League for Democracy
- Mr Myint Swe from the military.
Pastor Timothy advises that Mr Henry Van is from the same state as the four ACCM leaders – the Chin State – and that he is from a “good Christian family.” He also advises that the Chairman of the Upper House of the Assembly is also a member of the NLD and is “a Karen Christian”.
His message concluded “All Christian Churches are happy {with} new Government and the lady. We praise God.”
News reports following the November 8 General Elections indicated that…
“The NLD won a sweeping victory, taking 86 percent of the seats in the Assembly of the Union (235 in the House of Representatives and 135 in the House of Nationalities)–well more than the 67 percent supermajority needed to ensure that its preferred candidates will be elected president and first vice president in the Presidential Electoral College. While the NLD only needed a simple majority to carry on the normal business of government, it needed at least 67 percent to outvote the combined pro-military bloc in the Presidential Electoral College (the USDP and the appointed legislators representing the military)”
The leader of the National League for Democracy is Aung Sang Suu Kyi, who the Burmese people refer to as “the Lady”, who is barred, by the new Constitution put in place by the military, from being President.