Myanmar enters historic new parliamentary session
Myanmar sees its first democratically elected government in parlimentary sessions for the first time in over 50 years
National League for Democracy leader Aung Suu Kyi. The party won 80% of contested sears during the November elections.
MPs in Myanmar have begun a parliamentary session to see in the first democratically elected government of the country in more than 50 years, according to international reports
The assembly is dominated by MPs from Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), which won 80% of contested seats in November's poll. However, a quarter of all seats are reserved for the military, which still retains control of key ministries.
November's elections were the first openly contested national elections in 25 years. The army overthrew the last democratically-elected parliament in 1962. The transition from military-only rule will go on until the NLD government officially starts its term in April.
One of the parliament's first jobs will be to choose a new president, as outgoing leader Thein Sein steps down at the end of March, but Suu Kyi, who spent 15 years under house arrest, is barred from standing because her sons are British not Burmese.
The parliament will also be choosing its new chairman, as well as the speakers and deputy speakers of both the lower and upper houses.
Last week Suu Kyi confirmed her party will choose Win Myint as speaker of the lower house and Win Khaing Than, as the upper house speaker.
The AFP news agency reports that MPs have pledged to work to get human rights, democracy and peace in the country.
