"Myanmar’s governing National League for Democracy (NLD) receives frequent criticism for failing to repeal repressive legislation and for supporting the military’s persecution of the Rohingya ethnic minority. The NLD still fails to understand the grievances of ethnic minorities throughout Myanmar and its national reconciliation process lacks transitional justice mechanisms. But the party’s increasing centralisation and inability to institutionalise internal democratic processes adds further repercussions for Myanmar. The NLD’s most important party organ is its 21-member Central Executive Committee (CEC). It is led by Chairperson Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar’s State Counsellor), Vice Chairman Win Myint (Myanmar’s President) and a second Vice Chairman Zaw Myint Maung (Chief Minister of the Mandalay Region). Many CEC members are also part of the NLD’s legislative and executive branches, resulting in an overlap between the party’s central office and the party in public office. Myanmar’s constitution mandates that members of the union level executive refrain from engaging in party business. But the party’s highest executives in public office can influence party business through the state and region ministers. Indeed, the party’s highest executives in public office — most importantly Aung San Suu Kyi — are calling the shots. But the true source of power still lies within the CEC. Zaw Myint Maung explained that ‘both the parliament and the government are below the party. I am in this position because the party assigned me in this way. Who assigned me? The party. So, the party is above all of us. Below the party is the parliament. Below the party is the government’..."