The Burmese Parliament, based on the controversial elections in November, will be convened for the first time January 31, another step in the junta's willingness to acquire the attributes of civilian rule while maintaining control of the country's institutions. According to an order from General Than Shwe, the junta's strongman in power, quoted by state television, the two Houses shall meet in the morning of 31 January in the capital, Naypyidaw.The 14 regional meetings are also convened for the same day. This notice constitutes the sixth stage of a "roadmap" into seven points made by the scheme in 2003 and meant to lead the country towards a "disciplined democracy". It follows the November 7 elections, widely regarded in the West as a sham.
The electoral commission has released results from many, but no overall statement was not provided. The democratic opposition and ethnic minorities representing formations, however, admitted having won very few seats. And the Solidarity Party and the Union Development (USDP), created ex nihilo by the junta, has claimed a landslide victory with about 80% of open seats in the vote.
A quarter of seats in each assembly were reserved in addition to military activity, assuring the military a total control over the legislative process. According to the 2008 Constitution, adopted just after the cyclone Nargis (138 000 dead or missing), one of the first tasks of the new parliament will elect a civilian president from among three candidates.
These candidates will be presented respectively by the lower house, the Upper House and the military college of the two Houses. The president-elect will then form his government. The role that was reserved Than Shwe, in power since 1992, this new formula remains unknown. Some analysts believe he could run for the post of president, all agree that it should remain strong enough to ensure his safety and that of his family.
Within the main opposition party, National Democratic Force (NDF), established by dissidents of the National League for Democracy (NLD) Aung Kyi SanSuu, has managed to win only 16 seats and has accused the 'USDP massive fraud. The convening of Parliament will then, of course, without its leader and Nobel Peace Prize Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent fifteen of twenty-one years deprived of liberty, and had been released from house arrest a few days after the election on November 7.
Today it is the opinion of many observers, completely isolated and separated from the political landscape. The President of the National Development Party shan (SNDP), numerically the second ethnic group in the country behind the Burmese, said Monday he was not informed of the convening of meetings.
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