Legislators in Myanmar?s First ?Post- Junta” National Parliament (2010?2015): A Sociological Analysis

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Abstract: "In an attempt to better grasp the realities of Myanmar?s na- tional legislature, which was formed after the 2010 elections, this paper examines the personal profiles and social backgrounds of its elected and appointed members. I have sought to record data on the social composition of Myanmar?s first ?post-junta” parliament and provide a dataset for further comparative research on the resurgence of legislative affairs in the country. The study draws on official publications containing the biographies of 658 national parliamentarians. Focusing on six socio-demographic variables, the findings suggest that the typical Burmese legislator still closely mirrors the conventional image of Myanmar?s characteristic postcolonial leader: a man, in his mid-fifties, ethnically Bamar, Buddhist, holding a Myanmar university degree, engaged in business activities or in the education sector (in the case of the 492 elected legislators) or in the security sector (for the 166 military appointees). However, I argue that the profile of Myanmar?s first post-junta legislature offers a quite unexpected level of diversity that may augur well for the emergence of a new civilian policymaking elite in Myanmar.... Manuscript received 14 August 2014; accepted 21 September 2014.... Keywords: Myanmar, parliament, legislature composition, parliamentary elites, sociological profile, Burmese legislator, Hluttaws

Creator/author: 

Renaud Egreteau

Source/publisher: 

Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs 2/2014: 91?124

Date of Publication: 

2014-09-00

Date of entry: 

2014-11-08

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  • Individual Documents

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Language: 

English

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