Setback for Suu Kyi

Twenty-six of the committee's 31 members voted to retain the section in Myanmar's constitution that bars anyone married to a foreigner or with children of foreign citizenship from becoming head of state.

Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's late husband is British, as are her two sons.

If the parliament endorses the recommendation, it is likely to strongly impact on the 2015 general election. Many believe Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party (NLD) stands a chance of winning, but support may drop off without Suu Kyi as its presidential candidate.

Myanmar's parliament is unlikely to change the constitution. The committee members who voted against a constitutional change were made up of lawmakers from the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party as well as members of the military itself, which holds a large majority of the legislative seats. Just two NLD members are on the committee.

The 2008 constitution was drawn up by the previous military regime as the basis for the country's gradual transition to democracy. Many believe clause 59 (f) was written specifically to halt any ambitions of Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest for years and became a global icon because of her fight against Myanmar's military rulers.

The military ruled Myanmar for 49 years until 2011, when a quasi-civilian government, led by former general Thein Sein, took office. Reforms pushed through since then have ended many international sanctions against Myanmar.

Push for change

Myanmar's lawmakers are looking at possible changes to the constitution ahead of next year's elections.

Suu Kyi's party has held public rallies to try and gain support, with the opposition leader saying change was needed in order for the elections to be free and fair.

A spokesman for her party, Nyan Win, said it was more concerned about amending clauses in the constitution that govern how changes can be made. If this can be done, the spokesman said, then it could be easier to change other clauses.

Nepal visit

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, is currently on a four-day trip in Nepal, which she's visiting for the first time since a stint as a school teacher four decades ago. She is due to address parliament in Kathmandu on Saturday.

Suu Kyi visited Germany in April, when she was awarded the Willy Brandt Prize for her life of resisting oppression. The prize is named after the former West German chancellor who fled abroad from the Nazis as a young man and returned to rebuild democracy.

jr/slk (Reuters, AP, AFP)