Event Summary
On 3 February 2026, the Myanmar junta’s National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) enacted the Union Consultative Council Law, creating a new extra-constitutional body with sweeping powers to intervene across all branches of government. The law empowers the President to form a Union Consultative Council comprising a Chairperson, Secretary, and no fewer than five members to provide advice and coordination on national security, rule of law, international relations, peace affairs, and legislative matters. Crucially, this Council is not provided for in the 2008 Constitution and has been granted authority to intervene in the affairs of parliament, the government, and the judiciary. The Council’s term is tied to the president’s five-year tenure, with salaries, allowances, and administrative support provided by the government. The President retains sole power to designate leadership and determine the Council’s duties, while the Office of the President administers its functions and issues implementing rules. The Burma Lawyers’ Council has assessed this as a move toward permanent military dictatorship, with widespread speculation that junta chief Min Aung Hlaing will control both military and civilian administration from his position, whether as Council Chairman or President, mirroring historical patterns of military control during Myanmar’s previous pseudo-civilian transitions.