on State, Rakhine State, Sagaing*, Shan State, Tanintharyi*, Yangon*

Independence: 4 January 1948 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 January (1948)

Constitution: 3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988);
national convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft a new
constitution; progress has since been stalled

Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Prime Minister and Chairman of
the State Peace and Development Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23
April 1992); note - the prime minister is both the chief of state
and head of government

head of government: Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Peace
and Development Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note -
the prime minister is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet: State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); military
junta, so named 15 November 1997, which initially assumed power 18
September 1988 under the name State Law and Order Restoration
Council; the SPDC oversees the cabinet

elections: none; the prime minister assumed power upon resignation
of the former prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw
(485 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NLD 392, SNLD 23, NUP 10, other 60

Judicial branch: remnants of the British-era legal system are in
place, but there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the
judiciary is not independent of the executive

Political parties and leaders: National League for Democracy or NLD
[AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; National
Unity Party or NUP (proregime) [THA KYAW]; Shan Nationalities League
for Democracy or SNLD [U KHUN TUN OO]; Union Solidarity and
Development Association or USDA (proregime, a social and political
organization) [THAN AUNG, general secretary]; and other smaller
parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: All Burma Student Democratic
Front or ABSDF; Kachin Independence Army or KIA; Karen National
Union or KNU; National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or
NCGUB [Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals legitimately elected to
the People's Assembly but not recognized by the military regime; the
group fled to a border are