New York Times: Myanmar opens Parliament for the first time since the 1980s – Thomas Fuller

Bangkok - General decision to Myanmar Monday convened the first meeting of the Parliament over more than two decades, a move they say full transition from the poor country towards multiparty democracy.
Journalists were prescribed by Parliament building when the session convened Monday morning under high security in the capital city, Naypyidaw, the Associated Press reported.

Officially the opening of Parliament two bedroom will result in the dissolution of the junta that ruled Myanmar since 1988, when the country was known as Burma.

But it does not appear to be the dawn of absolute democracy. A quarter of seats are reserved for military and party-backed military control over 80% of the rest, allowing generals keep effectively their power, albeit in a less hierarchical system.

"The army is staying in control, but some of them are taking off their uniforms," said Win Min, Professor at the University of Payap in Thailand, who is on leave in the United States.

A key question is so broad top of Myanmar, Than Shwe, will become President, work more powerful by the new Constitution, but requiring to resign from his post of Commander in Chief.

General Than Shwe, who crushed the uprisings and purged potential rivals in the army during its almost two decades in power depends on 78 Wednesday, according to a libretto by Government published three decades ago. (The military Government was so secret that even the anniversary of the leader of the high country of page is not known with certainty).

New system of Myanmar resemble a democracy more in shape than on the merits, analysts say, but with the possibility of more debate and inclusiveness as high at the bottom of the junta regime. Myanmar in exile news media reported that Parliament issues must be submitted by members of 10 days in advance and pass a verification process.

"I think it will be very open and democratic governance in these first five years," says Priscilla a. Clapp, who was the head of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar from 1999 to 2002. "But thanks to a system that is much more complex, inevitably competing centers of power will develop.

The opening of Parliament, following elections in November, is only a number of changes in Myanmar.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, won the Nobel Prize for peace and the dissident leader of the country, was released from house arrest, a week after the elections and now seeks to rebuild his pro-democracy movement. The military Government, meanwhile, is aggressively selling buildings, factories and corporations, especially for allies and members of the family of military leaders of the country. Privatization rush vaguely resembles the great wind up in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Neighbouring countries responded by pushing more difficult to put an end to international isolation of Myanmar, including to lift economic sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union and other Western countries.

Both houses of Parliament and representatives of the military will appoint three Vice-Chairpersons, one will be elected President and choosing a law firm. Names of members of cabinet potential circulating in Myanmar these days included many people who served in positions of power under the military regime.

Last Parliament meets in Myanmar by the rule of unique party of General Ne Win formally withdrew from politics in 1988 during a period of turmoil, but the country did not have a genuine multiparty since 1962, system when the military took power through a coup.