18 September 1988);
national convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft a new
constitution; chapter headings and three of 15 sections have been
approved

Legal system: does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Law and Order
Restoration 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 Law and
Order Restoration Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note -
the prime minister is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: State Law and Order Restoration Council; military junta which
assumed power 18 September 1988
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 - NLD 82%; seats by party -
NLD 396, NUP 10, other 79

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

Political parties and leaders: Union Solidarity and Development
Association (USDA, proregime), THAN AUNG, general secretary; National
Unity Party (NUP, proregime), THA KYAW; National League for Democracy
(NLD), AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary; and eight minor legal
parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: National Coalition Government
of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), headed by 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 area and
joined with insurgents in December 1990 to form a parallel government;
Kachin Independence Army (KIA); United Wa State Army (UWSA); Karen
National Union (KNU); several Shan factions, including the Mong Tai
Army (MTA); All Burma Student Democratic Front (ABSDF)

International organization participation: AsDB, ASEAN (observer), CCC,
CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU,
Mekong Group, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO,
W