United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan Saturday urged the parties in Myanmar (Burma) to try to reach agreement that would allow the party of democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to participate in next weeks constitutional convention.
Mr. Annan was disappointed to learn that an agreement has not been reached to allow the National League for Democracy (NLD) and some other ethnic nationality parties to participate in the national convention due to begin Monday.
The Secretary-Generals Special Envoy, Razali Ismail, was in Myanmar most recently in March to try to move forward the national reconciliation process between the military-led Government, the NLD and other ethnic nationality groups, as well as secure the release of NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
– The Secretary-General believes that the opportunity represented by the national convention should not be missed, spokesman Fred Eckhard said. – He therefore urges all parties concerned, even at this late hour, to make every effort in the next two days to reach an agreement, taking into account suggestions made by the NLD and by other political and ethnic nationality parties, and to move the democratization and national reconciliation process forward.
Mr. Eckhard said the Secretary-General also reiterated his call for the removal of all the remaining restrictions imposed on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her deputy, U Tin Oo, and the reopening of NLD offices, “so that the national convention can be reconvened in an all-inclusive manner with all political parties, including the NLD and ethnic nationality parties.”
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