Suu Kyi is in a state of limbo

There is a legal and political dilemma in Myanmar, as the nation readies to vote on November 8 in the first-ever openly contested general election in 25 years. The issue concerns with Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's obsession to lead the country, if her party sweeps the polls. There is practically nothing wrong with that idea itself, but the fact is that Suu Kyi cannot be the head of government, as the constitution bars her from becoming the president.

Myanmar's dual-carriage governance structure doesn't have separate offices of president and prime minister, rather a single office for the incumbent who is voted by the parliament serves as both head of state and head of government. In such a scenario, Suu Kyi is lawfully unable to become the chief executive and her decision to lead the government will hit snags.

It remains to be seen whether that constitutional hurdle is taken care of through a new decree or an amendment is proposed, as the new parliament is sworn-in. Taking into account the fact that 25 per cent of legislators are military-nominated, the probability that Suu Kyi would be cleared to run the government is rare.