Cabinet ministers and public officials appointed by President Thein Sein
have finally submitted details of their financial assets and interests but the
information is likely to remain sealed from public view, according to the
President’s Office.
During the last week of July,
Thein Sein ordered public officials to disclose all of their movable and
immovable assets and interests no later than Aug. 1 in accordance with the
Union Governance Law. However, this date was later extended to Aug. 20 to give
more opportunity for compliance.
Speaking to The Irrawaddy on
Thursday, Maj Zaw Htay, the director-general of the President’s Office, said,
“The sealed list of the assets by each [minister, attorney-general,
auditor-general, etc.] has been sent directly to the president.”
The declaration process for
prominent politicians has received public attention recently as only the
president and two vice-presidents must declare their assets to the Parliament
according to the widely-condemned 2008 Constitution.
Article 68 of document states:
“The president and vice-president shall furnish a list of family assets under
his direction; namely land, houses, buildings, businesses, savings and other
valuables together with their values to the head of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw
[Union Parliament].”
The submission of the sealed list
of presidential appointees comes just two weeks after a proposal to declare the
assets of all public officials was shot down in Parliament.
MPs were told by the
auditor-general that further legislation was unnecessary as Article 101 of the
Union Government Law was already adequate. It states: “personnel who are
assigned by the president with the approval of Parliament shall furnish a list
of their businesses and assets together with the value of each to the
president.”
The disclosure of assets for
presidentially appointed officials comes one-and-a-half years after the present
administration assumed office despite the Thein Sein repeatedly emphasizing the
need for good and clean governance.
Observers remain suspicious that
former top military officials who became ministers for the ruling Union
Solidarity and Development Party will disclose their true wealth for fear of
being accused of corruption.
Zaw Htay said Thein Sein will not
publicize the assets list as the Constitution does not require such a level of
transparency. But that decision is totally at the president’s discretion, he
added.
“If some disputes come up
regarding ministers and public officials, the president has the power to reveal
relevant information in accordance with the Union Government Law,” explained
Zaw Htay.
The rejected proposal for the
full declaration of assets came from National League for Democracy MP Win Myint
in July. He wanted all public officials—including union, divisional and state
level ministers, the attorney-general, auditor-general, chief justices, Supreme
Court judges as well as members of the Constitutional Tribunal—to declare
interests to foster public trust in elected officials.
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