Aung San Suu Kyi will lead her party into a new session of Myanmar's parliament Monday, with lofty expectations that the first popularly-elected government in decades can reset a country ground down by half a century of military rule.
Hundreds of new MPs streamed into the Naypyidaw parliament on Monday morning to take up seats won in historic November elections.
The poll saw Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) wrest a majority from the army establishment and spur hopes of a new political era in the long repressed nation.
READ: Suu Kyi holds 'warm' talks with Myanmar president on power shift
"We will work to get human rights and democracy as well as peace," NLD MP Nyein Thit told AFP as he arrived at the cavernous parliament building.
But many of the NLD's lawmakers are political novices in a parliament where 25 percent of all seats are still held by the army.
The inexperienced new government faces a daunting rebuilding task in a country where the economy has been crushed by generations of junta rule.
"It's a historic moment for the country," said Myanmar political analyst Khin Zaw Win of the new parliament, which is stuffed with NLD lawmakers who won nearly 80 percent of elected seats.
"This is what we have tried to do, tried to achieve and fight for all these years, but when the moment really comes a lot of worries come as part of the package," he said, adding that Suu Kyi and her colleagues would have to learn fast on the job.
Suu Kyi is barred from being president by a military-scripted constitution because she married and had children with a foreigner.
She has vowed to sidestep this hurdle by ruling "above" a proxy president, although she has yet to reveal her choice for the role.
While there is no clear schedule for the selection of candidates, it could be within days.
Elected members of both houses and the military will nominate three candidates to succeed President Thein Sein, who retains his post until the end of March. The new president will then be chosen by a vote of the combined houses.
Great expectations
Observers are closely watching Suu Kyi's relationship with the still powerful military, which holds key ministries as well as the 25 percent parliamentary bloc.
Suu Kyi may try to persuade the army to help her change the charter clause that blocks her path to power, analysts say, although it has so far baulked at any attempt to redraft it.
After decades under the military yoke, Myanmar's people queued in their thousands to cast ballots for Suu Kyi and her party in November, throwing their support behind her simple campaign message of "change".
With a resounding parliamentary majority, her lawmakers are -- at least initially -- expected to act as a rubber stamp for her government.
The country has begun to blossom since the end of outright army rule in 2011.
Thein Sein's quasi-civilian government has since opened the long-isolated country to international investment and launching sweeping political reforms.
But Myanmar remains blighted by civil wars and ethnic and religious divisions, while poverty rates are high and the country's bureaucracy is poorly funded and riven with corruption.
On the streets of Yangon, ordinary people said they were however optimistic about what she could achieve.
"We have been hoping for an NLD government for a long time. I feel happy now," said 22-year-old dentist Kyaw Htet.
AFP
Mon Feb 01 2016
After decades under the military yoke, Myanmar's people began throwing their support behind her simple campaign message of "change". - REUTERS
Operasi darat Israel di Rafah akan cetus bencana kemanusiaan - WHO
Netanyahu berikrar pada Selasa, untuk menyerang Rafah, walaupun terdapat laporan kemungkinan perjanjian gencatan senjata dengan Hamas.
MoT pantau rapi situasi letusan Gunung Ruang - Loke
Setakat ini letusan gunung berapi berkenaan telah menjejaskan sedikit ruang udara di Tawau, Sabah menyebabkan beberapa penerbangan ke daerah itu terpaksa dilencongkan.
SPRM Kelantan tahan pegawai kanan KADA buat tuntutan palsu
Lelaki berusia 40-an itu ditahan pada 9.30 malam tadi selepas dipanggil ke pejabat SPRM untuk diambil keterangan.
Letusan Gunung Ruang: Malaysia Airlines sambung semula beberapa penerbangan ke Sabah, Labuan
Penerbangan yang terlibat ialah MH2660D (KUL-TWU) yang pada awalnya MH2660, serta MH2661D (TWU-KUL), pada mulanya MH2661.
SPRM tahan CEO syarikat pembekalan air, pemilik syarikat
Kedua-dua lelaki berusia 38 dan 35 tahun itu ditahan di pejabat SPRM Selangor kira-kira pukul 4 petang semalam bagi membantu siasatan.
Menteri Kabinet zahir penghargaan kepada warga pekerja
Hari Pekerja disambut pada 1 Mei setiap tahun bagi meraikan sumbangan warga pekerja dengan sambutan tahun ini yang bertemakan 'Pekerja Kesuma Bangsa'.
Bayi maut disyaki akibat didera, polis tahan empat individu
Polis menahan empat individu di sekitar sini yang disyaki terlibat dalam kes kematian seorang bayi perempuan berumur sembilan bulan di Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA), dipercayai akibat didera, minggu lalu.
Rasuah RM3.3 juta: CEO syarikat air, pemilik syarikat ditahan
Ketua pegawai eksekutif syarikat pembekalan air dan seorang pemilik syarikat ditahan semalam berkaitan kes rasuah dan tuntutan palsu RM3.3 juta.
Sumbang lebih RM16 juta kepada asnaf sempena Aidilfitri
Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (MAIWP) menyumbang lebih RM16 juta kepada asnaf di Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya dan Labuan sempena perayaan Aidilfitri tahun ini.
Maklum Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (hal ehwal agama) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, bantuan itu diagih sejak sebelum syawal berjumlah RM16.1 juta kepada 32,250 asnaf di ketiga-tiga wilayah yang mana RM500 diberikan kepada setiap seorang.
Maklum Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (hal ehwal agama) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, bantuan itu diagih sejak sebelum syawal berjumlah RM16.1 juta kepada 32,250 asnaf di ketiga-tiga wilayah yang mana RM500 diberikan kepada setiap seorang.
Keputusan rayuan Siti Bainun sabitan salah abai, aniaya Bella esok
Keputusan itu akan diputuskan Hakim, Datuk Noorin Badaruddin pada jam 10 pagi.
Anak lelaki risau tahap kesihatan Aung San Suu Kyi di penjara
Kim Aris dakwa, ibunya dinafikan akses kepada doktor luar selepas mengalami pening dan muntah.
Pengampunan separa Suu Kyi tidak bermakna - Anak
Pengampunan separa oleh tentera junta Myanmar terhadap bekas pemimpin yang dipenjarakan, Aung San Suu Kyi tidak mempunyai sebarang makna.
Thailand sambut baik pengampunan Suu Kyi
Thailand berharap pemberian pengampunan itu akan membantu mewujudkan suasana kondusif untuk dialog politik di Myanmar.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Junta Myanmar beri pengampunan negara kepada Suu Kyi
Bekas pemimpin parti Liga Demokrasi Kebangsaan (NLD) itu dipenjarakan sejak rampasan kuasa Februari 2021.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Suu Kyi sokong rundingan 'tanpa syarat' untuk hentikan krisis di Myanmar - Laporan
Pemimpin Myanmar yang dipenjarakan Aung San Suu Kyi akan menyokong rundingan "tanpa prasyarat" untuk menamatkan krisis yang berlaku di negara itu.
UK umum sekatan baharu terhadap Myanmar, sasar pembekal peralatan tentera
United Kingdom pada Isnin mengumumkan sekatan baharu terhadap Myanmar, termasuk menyasarkan pembekal peralatan ketenteraan kepada junta.
Kerajaan tentera Myanmar nafi lakukan pembunuhan beramai-ramai
Anggota kumpulan penentangan bersenjata mendakwa bahawa mayat mangsa ditemukan di pekarangan sebuah biara Buddha pada lewat Sabtu lalu.
Pilihan Raya Myanmar di tengah-tengah keganasan, Ketua PBB suarakan kebimbangan
Setiausaha Agung Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) Antonio Guterres pada Isnin menyuarakan kebimbangan mengenai hasrat junta Myanmar untuk mengadakan pilihan raya di tengah-tengah keganasan.