New Delhi: Myanmar's parliament met on March 16 for the first time in five years after the coup, marking one of the final stages in a nominal return to democracy with the powerful military holding tight control.
The gathering of the new Parliament comes after a recent phased election that is dominated by the Army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) amid low voter turnout and no viable Opposition, according to PTI.
USDP chairman and retired brigadier-general Khin Yi was elected Lower House Speaker this week. Reuters had earlier reported Khin Yi had been touted for the role, which is seen by some analysts as pivotal for the military in advancing its agenda.
Myanmar has been plagued by civil war and a humanitarian crisis affecting millions of its people since its generals staged a 2021 coup against the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, just as it was preparing for a second five-year term in office following a landslide election win. Many Western countries have dismissed the latest election as a sham designed to entrench military rule.
The USDP, created by the military in 2010, won 81% of available seats and will be joined in the bicameral Parliament by scores of military officers hand-picked by the armed forces, which under the constitution is allocated a quarter of legislative seats.
