Anyar Parliaments Beyond Uncertainties
This briefing examines the role of the Sagaing, Mandalay and Magway unit parliaments during the revolution, through a comparative study of subnational parliaments in other countries and through interviews.
More than four years after the 2021 coup, interim arrangements and the features of a government have emerged in the Sagaing, Mandalay and Magway federal units, making it necessary for the subnational parliaments to recalibrate their role.
The experience of the American provincial congresses (1774-1776) and the Kurdistan Parliament (1994-1998) shows that subnational parliaments moved quickly to build new institutions to fill gaps in governance.The three federal unit parliaments developed in three phases, and were most active in the second phase, when the interim arrangements were enacted, and in the third, after unit governments emerged.Financial scrutiny is their weakest function, and a similar weaknesses such as the NUG's failure have been passed down to the units.Convening sessions, difficulties in law-making and the influence of the mother party are the main challenges facing the unit parliaments.
The briefing makes recommendations on the parliaments' image and capacity, law-making for the revolution, oversight and scrutiny, and partner and external relations.
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