His Majesty’s Government and the Delegation of the Burma Executive Council having discussed all the matters affecting the future relations between Great Britain and Burma which were raised by the Delegation have reached the following agreed conclusions as to the methods by which the people of Burma may achieve their independence, either within or without the Commonwealth, as soon as possible: —
- The Constituent Assembly
In order that the people of Burma may decide on the future constitution of their country as soon as possible a Constituent Assembly shall be elected instead of a Legislature under the Act of 1935. For this purpose the electoral machinery of the 1935 Act will be used.
Elections will take place in April for the general non-communal, the Karen, and the Anglo-Burman constituencies as constituted under the Act of 1935, and for each constituency two members shall be returned. Any Burma nationals (as defined in Annex A) registered in a general constituency other than one of those mentioned above shall be placed on the register of a general non-communal constituency. - Transitional Form of Government
During the period of transition the Government of Burma will be carried on as at present under the special powers of Section 139 of the Act of 1935 and the Temporary Provisions Act of 1945 together with any Orders in Council made there under. If any exception circumstances arise which, in the opinion of either Government require special treatment, His Majesty’s Government will consider what, if any, alteration can be made to meet such circumstances. - Interim legislature
During the interim period there will be a Legislative Council as provided by the Act of 1945. Power will be sought by His Majesty’s Government by Order in Council to increase the numbers authorized from 50 to 100. As soon as the elections to the Constituent Assembly are completed the Governor will nominate a Legislative Council of 100. It will be drawn from among those elected to the Constituent Assembly with the inclusion of a small number of persons to present the non-indigenous minorities. The powers of the Legislative Council will be identical with those possessed by the recently dissolved Legislative Council of 50. - Interim Government
The Executive Council of Governor will constitute the Interim Government of Burma. While it is not possible to alter the legal powers of the Executive Council, or of the Governor, which must continue within the framework set out in paragraph 2 above, the Interim Government will be conducted generally in the same manner as the Interim Government of India at the present time, and in particular: –
(a) The Executive Council will be treated with the same close consultation and consideration as a Dominion Government, and will have the greatest possible freedom in the exercise of the day-to-day administration of the country. The convention exercised during the currency of the Act of 1935 as to the Governor presiding at the meeting of the Council of Ministers shall be continued in relation to the Executive Council.
(b) His Majesty’s Government agree in principle that the Government of Burma shall have financial autonomy
(see Annex B).
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