let's talk about constitutions

International IDEA

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© 2021 International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

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International IDEA

Strömsborg

SE–103 34 Stockholm

Sweden

Telephone: +46 8 698 37 00

Email: [email protected]

Website: <http://www.idea.int>

International IDEA Myanmar

Email: [email protected]

Script writer: Charmaine Rodrigues

Design of cartoons: Kar Gyi

Cover image: Kar Gyi

ISBN: 978-91-7671-454-6 (Print)

ISBN: 978-91-7671-455-3 (PDF)

DOI: <https://doi.org/10.31752/idea.2021.73>

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the development of ‘Let’s talk about constitutions!’

to ensure it is a product that is appealing and accessible to non-specialists and young audiences.

Thanks especially go to the script writer Charmaine Rodrigues for her amazing effort to tell a constitutional

story in an entertaining and informative way. We also would like to thank the illustrator Kar Gyi for his tireless

creative work to develop and fine tune the characters to Myanmar’s complex cultural context. We gratefully

acknowledge the contributions of May Htut Pan Moe and Ei Pwint Rhi Zan to the overall design and layout

of ‘Let’s talk about constitutions!’, as well as their patience and significant inputs and consultations throughout

the production process.

A special thanks to everyone on the MyConstitution Programme team for their enormous involvement in the

drafting process, especially in developing collaboratively the core ideas, contributing to the script and reviewing

the booklet countless times to make sure ‘Let’s talk about constitutions!’ reflects the dynamics and background

of local culture and context and ensure it is useful for young audiences. The role of the team and teamwork was

critical in shaping and producing the booklet into its current form.

Finally, we also want to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg,

the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden for their support,

without which this publication and MyConstitution as a programme would not be possible.

Let's talk about constitutions!

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International IDEA

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I have always wanted to ask you what you want to be

when you grow up.

Farmer!Police officer Doctor! President!

Zwe Wut Mone Paing Paing Sophia


6

Very interesting Sophia!

Why do you want to be president?

She just wants to

tell people what to do

ma’am!

this

that

No, I want to be

president so I can

make people’s lives

better.

International IDEA

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But ma’am, can she even be

president? She’s a girl!

And she’s too young!

umm ...hmm ....

That’s a good question, Zwe.

Do you know where we can

find some of the answers?


8

We can look at the constitution and the other laws of our country that tell

us about who can be president, how they are chosen and what their job is.

Do you know what a constitution is?

OK, when we get back to school, let’s go to the library

and find a copy of the constitution.

No ma’am!

International IDEA

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OK, here we go. So a constitution is like a blueprint for

our country.

When we build a house, we use

a blueprint. It tells us how many

bedrooms there are, where the

kitchen and bathroom will be and

whether the house is made of cement

or wood.

A constitution is like that. It tells us how our country will be set up—who will run the

country and how these people and bodies will interact. It also explains how they work for

the public.


10

Laws are like rules that help guide

everyone in the country on what they can

and cannot do.

Laws guide all of us people.

They even guide the president.

You said we need to look at the constitution

as well as the laws of our country.

But what is a law, ma’am?

International IDEA

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But where do laws come from,

ma’am?

If you look at the constitution, it will tell you where laws

come from and how they are made.

Yes ma’am. The constitution says

that our parliament makes laws. Can any of you work out

who makes our laws?


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But what’s a parliament,

ma’am?

Almost every country in the world has a parliament. Members of

Parliament come together from around the country to discuss

issues that are important for our people. They also debate and

make laws.

International IDEA

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Members of Parliament are also supposed to make sure that the

members of the government do their job properly. They can ask

the government questions when they all come together in

parliament, and they can even check that they are spending

money properly.

But what is

the government, ma’am? All the countries in the world have a government,

made up of people whose job it is to run the country.

The government is supposed to make sure that we

all have basic services, such as schools and

hospitals, and that we are kept safe, for example,

by making sure we have a police force and a military

that protect us.


14

That’s why I wanted to be president ma’am. Because the president is

the boss of the government, right? If I’m the boss I can do good things

for everyone.

Is that right ma’am? I heard that

the prime minister is the boss of

the government, not the president.

International IDEA

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Yes. In some countries, they have a president

who is the head of the government.

Really?

Different countries have different names

for the person who leads their government.


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In other countries they have a prime minister

who is the head of the government.

In both cases, they appoint ministers to help

them and take responsibility for different

issues, like health, education or the economy.

In some countries they even have

a president and a prime minister!

Every country has a

different system for

how these different

people and bodies work

together.

In some countries, the president or prime minister and

the ministers sit inside parliament. In other countries,

the government is completely separate from the parliament.

International IDEA

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The names aren’t important though. What is important is what our

leaders do—how they are chosen, how they work together

and how we make sure they do the right thing for the country.

What do you mean, ma’am?

I thought the president and

the government could just do

whatever they wanted?

No, Zwe. That’s not true at all.

The constitution requires the president

and the government to govern in a way

that is good for all of the country. It says

what the government can and cannot do.


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The constitution also sets up other bodies that can make sure the government does

the right thing.

In some countries, parliament has

the power to block government

action.

Wow, really ma’am?

The parliament is able to

disagree with the president or

prime minister?

Yes, Sophia. Depending on what the constitution says, parliament can have quite a lot

of power to make sure that the president is doing things that it agrees are for the good

of the country.

International IDEA

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In most countries, the courts also make

sure that the government follows the

constitution and other laws.

What are courts, ma’am?

The courts decide whether someone has broken the

rules—including the president and the government.


20

I’m confused ma’am!

They want the

‘referee’ to make a

decision.

Well, when you play football, there are rules that you must follow. For example, you can’t

tackle people or touch the ball with your hands. If you break the rules, you might get into

trouble with the referee.

Courts are like referees. People go to the court if

they think someone hasn’t followed the rules.

In our country, these rules are

found in the constitution and

our laws.

International IDEA

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Like when you think you have scored a goal in football, but the other

team thinks the ball didn’t cross the line.

Well, a court has judges who make decisions like

referees do. Each side tells the judge why they think

they are right. The judge considers the law—or looks

at the rules—and makes a decision. That decision

must be followed—even by the president and the

government!

Really?

How does that work

in real life?


22

I want to be

a referee! I think you mean a judge, pal!

The courts can tell the government that it has done something that the

constitution does not allow. But if people like you and me think that the

government is not doing its job properly or is not doing the right thing for our

country, then we can also vote them out at the next election.

International IDEA

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Elections…I can’t wait!

In most countries,

including ours, people

aged 18 and over get to

choose who represents

them in parliament—

and even sometimes who becomes president or prime minister. You

do that by voting in an election, which is held every few years. If you

like what your government and parliament are doing, you can go and

vote for them again. But if not, you can choose someone else.


24

Voting is when you choose someone to

represent you. Like when we vote for our

student council representatives every

year. You go into a voting booth and put

a tick next to the person’s name who you

want to choose. This process is called an

election.

Ma’am, how are political parties

involved in elections? I have

heard about them, but I don’t

know what they do.

What is a vote?

International IDEA

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Political parties help bring people together who want to get elected to

parliament or local government. People who have similar ideas about how

we should run the country try to get elected so they can work together

in government or parliament.

Is the election when everyone can choose

me to be president?

Really?Not exactly Sophia. In our country, we don’t

vote for the president directly.


26

Yes, children. In our country, you vote for a person to represent you

in parliament. The people in our parliament then choose who will be

the president.

What does

represent mean?

It means that the person finds out what people in your area think

is important, and then takes your ideas to parliament and uses

them as a guide to what they should do.

International IDEA

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Ma’am I read that in some countries they have different

governments and parliaments for different parts of

the country. Is that true?

It’s possible. In some countries,

they have a national government

and parliament but also regions and

states with their own governments

and parliaments.

Well, it is one characteristic of

a federal system, but there are

many more!

Is

that what is

called, “federalism”,

ma’am?

Like

what?


28

Well, some countries have two houses in their parliament.

Often, one chamber is supposed to represent the regions or

states, while the other is supposed to work for the nation

as a whole.

Lower House

Upper House

International IDEA

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For example, members of a regional government or

parliament might know better whether that area

needs a new school in a neighbourhood, or a hospital or

perhaps even a road!

Some countries prefer a system that has different levels of

government because the local levels sit closer to the people who

elect them and can better understand local needs.


30

I want to be the president of my region then!

Great, Wut Mone!

These are only a few examples of

what makes a country a federation.

Let’s discuss this more in our next class.

Before Sophia tries to become president, she may

first want to get involved in local government, to learn

more about how government really works.

But ma’am, Sophia is a girl. Can she even

stand for election?

International IDEA

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Paing Paing, in our country, our constitution says that every single

person is equal and we all have the same rights as each other. We

cannot treat people differently just because they are a boy or a girl.

Yes, Paing Paing. Even I knew that! To ban me from

being president just because I’m a girl is what is called

discrimination.


32

In our country, you cannot discriminate against

people because of what gender they are—or

because of their race, religion, culture or the

amount of money they have.

My mum and dad don’t earn a lot of money. But the constitution means

we still have to be treated equally. I can still go to school and I can still

get a good job. I could even be president, too, if I tried hard enough!

International IDEA

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What are

“rights”, ma’am?

Rights belong to every person in the world.

There are some things that we should all be able to enjoy

just because we are all people. Sometimes, people call them

human rights because every human has them.

That’s true, Zwe and Sophia.

Our constitution includes what is called a Bill of Rights.

Almost every country in the world has one.


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For example, we should all be able to go to school—

that’s called the right to education. We should all be

able to see a doctor if we get sick and get medicine if

we need it—that’s called the right to health.

My dad is a journalist and he told me that

we have freedom of the media in this

country. Is that right?

International IDEA

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The rights that every person in our country enjoys are

set out in the Bill of Rights in our constitution. You should

definitely read about them.

Yes it is. The media have an important job in our country

because they help us understand what the government

is doing. They ask people questions and then share the

information with us.

Ma’am, do we have a right to say whatever

we want in our constitution?


36

Good question. Let’s think, even in school you can’t say

anything you want. You can’t swear, you can’t call each

other names. You put your hand up if you want to speak.

Sometimes we need rules to help guide how you can all

exercise your rights together, including your right to speak.

Governments sometimes try to limit rights but you can ask the courts to decide on

what is fair. For example, our constitution says we have the right to assemble and

protest together.

I know a case where a community wanted to protest against the government cutting

down a holy forest to build an airport.

International IDEA

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The local mayor tried to stop their protest, but the court said that the order was

“unconstitutional” because it unfairly limited their right to freedom of assembly.

Sometimes limits are allowed though. Sophia, did you know that our constitution puts

an age limit on who can be president?

Really?


38

Yes, most countries require you to be 20 or 25 years old to stand for parliament.

You often have to be even older to run for president. In this country you need to be

at least 45 years old.

International IDEA

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Gosh, really?

It’s true. I know that sounds like a long time away, but you can still be

involved in trying to do good things for the country in the meantime. This

will help you be a better leader for the people. Can any of you think of how

else you could get involved in working with your community, before your

run in an election?


40

I want to run for the school student council this year.

That way I can practise how to listen to people and

understand what they want and why.

I can also learn how to work with the student council members

to encourage them to work on the issues I think are important.

International IDEA

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My mum is part of our local women’s group. They do really important

stuff, like working with our local government officials to help them

understand the problems that women face in our community.

Some of our mums are paid less than men even for doing the same job. They asked the

officials to help them get their proper wages.

They also work with the local police and officials to help women whose husbands have

hurt them to get help. Last year, they spoke to our local Member of Parliament to get

the law changed to protect women better.


42

That sounds like very

important work.

My dad is an engineer and he works for an organization that is trying to protect our

environment. In our local area, they cut down lots of trees. He works with the logging

people to make sure that they are following the rules about what you can cut down

and how much. He also helps them to make sure they protect local animals.

International IDEA

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My dad is a police officer. That’s why I want to be one too when I grow up.

But are the police part of the community or part of the government?

That sounds cool! I hope they are protecting the local ani-

mals! My brother is studying at university to be a vet because

he likes helping animals too.


44

That’s a very good question, Zwe. The police have the job

of making sure that everyone is following the law. They

are government workers, but their job is to protect the

community and our human rights.

Police officers, just like everyone else in government—and

just like all of us—have to respect the constitution and to

respect our rights. That means that they must follow the

rules just like everyone else.

International IDEA

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Yes, we all have duties to each other to respect each other’s rights and make

sure we all live safe lives, treating each other respectfully and equally. I’m glad

Sophia wants to grow up to make sure we all enjoy better lives, but I hope we all

find a way to do that, no matter what jobs we have!

OK, children, can’t wait to see you

in class tomorrow! Bye...

END.

That sounds fair.

What a cool job!

International IDEA

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an

intergovernmental organization with the mission to advance democracy worldwide, as a universal

human aspiration and enabler of sustainable development. We do this by supporting the building,

strengthening and safeguarding of democratic political institutions and processes at all levels. Our

vision is a world in which democratic processes, actors and institutions are inclusive and accountable

and deliver sustainable development to all.

In our work we focus on three main impact areas: electoral processes; constitution-building pro-

cesses; and political participation and representation. The themes of gender and inclusion, conflict

sensitivity and sustainable development are mainstreamed across all our areas of work. International

IDEA provides analyses of global and regional democratic trends; produces comparative knowledge

on good international democratic practices; offers technical assistance and capacity-building on dem-

ocratic reform to actors engaged in democratic processes; and convenes dialogue on issues relevant

to the public debate on democracy and democracy-building.

Our headquarters is located in Stockholm, and we have regional and country offices in Africa, the

Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. International IDEA is a Permanent

Observer to the United Nations and is accredited to European Union institutions.

<http://idea.int>

MyConstitution

The MyConstitution programme works towards a home-grown and well-informed constitutional

culture as an integral part of democratic transition and sustainable peace in Myanmar. Based on

demand by a wide variety of Myanmar stakeholders, expert advisory services are provided to those

involved in constitution-building efforts. The MyConstitution programme also provides opportu-

nities for learning and dialogue on relevant constitutional issues based on the history of Myanmar

and comparative experience.

The project is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Government of Luxem-

bourg, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway and the Government of Sweden.

let's talk about constitutions

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