United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Aung San Suu Kyi held a joint news conference in Yangon Tuesday after meeting briefly to discuss the country's new advancements toward democracy.
The Secretary General said he supported Suu Kyi's decision to take her seat in parliament after earlier refusing to do so.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON, SAYING:
"Politicians will sometimes continue to have differences of opinion on some issues, but a real leader demonstrates flexibility for the greater casue of the people of a country. And this is what she has done."
Monday, Suu Kyi announced a reversal of her earlier stance to boycott parliament over the wording of the swearing-in oath.
Suu Kyi and members of the National League for Democracy party are to be sworn-in to parliament on Wednesday.
Suu Kyi said her decision to compromise on the matter was not a new concept.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) OPPOSITION NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY (NLD) PARTY LEADER AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE AUNG SAN SUU KYI, SAYING:
"We have always believed in being flexible throughout the years of our struggle, because that is the only way we can achieve our goal
without violence. So I do not think flexibility is going to be a new concept for us, newly acquired because we're going into the National
Assembly. It has been part of the political equipment with which we have been working for the last 23-odd years."
The Secretary General also invited Suu Kyi to visit the United Nations in New York, a visit she said she was looking forward to.
Julie Noce, Reuters
