YANGON • Myanmar's outgoing President Thein Sein has at the last minute cancelled plans to attend the US-Asean summit in California next week, his office said late on Thursday, giving no reasons for the decision.
While no official delegation from the Myanmar side had been announced before, experts had expected the trip to be Mr Thein Sein's last chance to highlight his reformist legacy in front of US President Barack Obama and South-east Asian leaders.
Mr Thein Sein's Union Solidarity and Development Party was crushed by Ms Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) in a November election, kicking off a lengthy transition process that will end on April 1 when the new government's term begins.
"Vice-President Nyan Htun will visit the United States on behalf of President Thein Sein," an announcement by the President's Office read.
"President Thein Sein is not visiting the US because he has other business to attend to, that's all we can say," said Mr Zaw Htay, a senior official at the President's Office, when contacted by phone.
Myanmar's military, which is guaranteed 25 per cent of the seats in Parliament and three security ministries under the Constitution, is negotiating the terms of the transition with Ms Suu Kyi.
Details of those talks remain murky.
Mr Thein Sein's decision will likely intensify already frantic speculation over the state of behind-the-scenes negotiations in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw.
The Parliament decided on Monday to begin its election process for the new President on March 17, pushing back the NLD's original plans by about three weeks and suggesting that talks between the party and the military have hit a snag.
In 2011, Mr Thein Sein's semi-civilian government replaced a military regime that had ruled Myanmar for 49 years, ushering in political and economic reforms.
International observers lauded Mr Thein Sein for organising credible elections.
Leaders from the Asean grouping will meet Mr Obama at a summit in the Californian resort of Sunnylands on Feb 15 and 16.
REUTERS
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