Myanmar's armed forces had no choice but to seize power in the country, the spokesman for Myanmar’s military said on Tuesday, insisting it wasn't a coup.
The detention of the civilian government’s leaders was justified, General Zaw Min Tun said, claiming that alleged election fraud in November hasn't been addressed at the behest of the military, General Zaw Min Tun said.
"Our objective is to hold an election and hand power to the winning party," Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun told a press conference.
Commenting on the latest protests in Myanmar’s capital city Yangog, the spokesperson noted that protesters incited violence against the police during the rallies. During one of the attacks, one of the police officers died from his injuries, the spokesperson added.
When asked about the detention of Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, General Zaw Min Tun said that the officials will decide on the matter in compliance with the constitution.
Military spokesman Brigadier General also stressed that the country is likely to stick to the 2008 constitution. The document, which came into force more than decade ago and was amended in 2015, reserved roughly a quarter of the seats in the parliament for serving military officers.
On 1 February, the country’s military declared a state of emergency for a year, with a power transfer to the commander-in-chief General Min Aung Hlaing.
The political turmoil comes after months of the tensions between government and military over the results of the 8 November general election. While the country’s Union Election Commission confirmed the NLD’s victory in the poll , the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development party contested the results which would have allowed Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi to take a second five-year term in the office.
