Aung San Suu Kyi's party announced on Sunday it would postpone its parliamentary debut, in the first sign of discord between Myanmar's newly-elected opposition and reformist government.
The democracy icon and other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) will not travel to the capital Naypyidaw to enter Parliament on Monday, spokesmen for the party told AFP, in a dispute over the swearing-in oath.
“We are not boycotting, but we are just waiting for the right time to go,” said Ms. Suu Kyi, who won her first-ever seat in Parliament in landmark April 1 by-elections, after a meeting on the issue in Yangon.
The NLD has baulked at the wording of the oath, which requires them to protect a constitution that was drawn up by the former junta. Authorities have rejected the party's appeal to change “safeguard” to “respect” the constitution in the oath and a letter to the office of Myanmar's reformist President Thein Sein on the issue was sent too late for the row to be resolved before the next session of Parliament begins on Monday.
