UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- The new Parliament in Myanmar has an opportunity to reach out to all political parties in the spirit of democracy, the U.N. secretary-general said.
Myanmar's Parliament elected Gen. Thein Sein as president Friday, a move expected by a government dominated by the country's military junta.
Thein Sein, the outgoing prime minister and part of the junta that has ruled the country since 1962, was one of three vice presidents elected by lawmakers loyal to the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party. Both of his vice presidents come from the USDP.
The three leaders will hold office for five years under a new constitution criticized by democracy supporters both at home and abroad as designed to perpetuate military rule.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a statement said the new government in Myanmar should make the necessary steps toward democratic reform.
"He hopes that it leads to the formation of a more inclusive civilian government that is broadly representative of all parties relevant to national reconciliation and more responsive to the aspirations of the people of Myanmar," said Ban's spokesman in a statement.
Authorities said the two-chamber Parliament would work on a plan for "disciplined democracy," though The Independent newspaper in London reported in January that those waiting for political transformation might be disappointed.
