Myanmar leader would 'accept' Suu Kyi in vote

Myanmar leader Thein Sein has said in an interview he would accept Aung San Suu Kyi as president if elected, but added he could not alone amend rules that bar her from power.

Former general Thein Sein has paid rare tributes to Myanmar's Nobel laureate during a landmark tour of the United States where he has burnished his reformist credentials by insisting his country will continue its strides toward democracy after decades of army rule.

The Myanmar leader, whose meeting with Suu Kyi in New York marked the latest sign of warm relations between the nation's leader and its most famous former political prisoner, told the BBC there were "no problems" between them.

"If the people accept her, I will have to accept her. As I said before, we are now working together," he said, according to translated excerpts of an interview with the British broadcaster aired on Saturday.

But he insisted he could not act alone to remove the barriers impeding Suu Kyi’s route to the presidency, as the country heads toward crucial 2015 elections.

Myanmar's constitution currently prohibits those with close foreign relatives from holding high office and Suu Kyi, who married a British academic, has two sons living in the West.

"I alone cannot change the constitution. This depends on the wish of the people and also the wishes of the members of parliament," he said.

Thein Sein also underscored the continuing importance of the military. Soldiers have a quarter of the seats in Myanmar’s parliament and effectively have a veto on constitutional amendment, which requires a more than 75 percent majority.

"The constitution clearly defines the responsibility of the military and every sector of the parliament. We cannot exclude the army from politics," he said.

Thein Sein has seen suspension or lifting of most Western sanctions, for the fast pace of change in Myanmar since he took the helm last year.

Hundreds of political prisoners have been freed and Suu Kyi — who was kept under house arrest for a total of 15 years — has now entered parliament after her National League for Democracy party swept key by-elections in April.

A spokesman for Suu Kyi’s party said the organization "greatly welcome what he said" and stressed that the NLD also wants the president to have legitimacy under the constitution. "If it’s the president’s real attitude, we have to amend some aspects of the constitution," Ohn Kyaing, the spokesman, told AFP.

Meanwhile, a crowd of 5,000 watched as Suu Kyi received an honorary doctorate from the University of San Francisco.

Suu Kyi spoke to the crowd on Saturday in English for several minutes before switching to Burmese, addressing her fellow countrymen in the audience. The San Francisco Bay area is home to the nation’s largest Burmese community.

"Our country is on the verge of a new path," she told the crowd. "We are just about to start out, but we are not along the way yet. And because we are just at the beginning, this is a delicate and difficult time."

Suu Kyi's appearance at the university is part of a high-profile visit that has included a private meeting with US President Barack Obama and standing ovations at awards ceremonies in Washington and New York, including at the United Nations.

AFP—AP