Myanmar's President-Elect Plans to Abolish 15 Ministries - Speaker

Myanmar's newly elected president, Htin Kyaw, is planning to abolish 15 of the 36 existing ministries in the nearest future, local media reported Friday, citing the chairman of the joint houses of the country's parliament.

BANGKOK (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, Myanmar's parliament elected Htin Kyaw, an aide to opposition leader and Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s new president. He will be sworn on March 31, becoming the first civilian president of the country.

"The president has submitted a proposal, in accordance with Section 202 of the Constitution <…> to reduce the number of ministries to 21 and the number of ministers — to 18," parliamentary speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than was quoted by the Eleven Myanmar newspaper.

The ministries of sport, science and technology and cooperatives are to be abolished, the publication said. Some other ministries will be merged, while several new created, including the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs.

It is unknown how the changes will affect the three major ministries run by the army: the defense, home affairs and border affairs ministries.

Constitutionally, Myanmar has a multiparty democratic system, but institutions of power are dominated by the military. One quarter of the country's parliament is represented by the military as well, while the other members are directly elected.