Political System

The appointed Prime Minister, Gen. Soe Win (since October 19, 2004), is not the head of government cabinet.

Country name

HT Image

Conventional long form: Union of Burma
Conventional short form: Burma
Local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar)
Local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw
Former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma

Note: Since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw

Government type: Military regime

Capital: Rangoon (regime refers to the capital as Yangon)

Administrative divisions: Myanmar is divided into 7 divisions and 7 states. The divisions are Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi and Yangon. The states are Chin State, Kachin State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Mon State, Rakhine State, and Shan State.
Independence: January 4, 1948 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, January 4 (1948)

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

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

Executive branch:
Chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Sr. Gen. Than Shwe (since April 23, 1992)
Head of government: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Sr. Gen. Than Shwe (since April 23, 1992);

Note - The appointed Prime Minister, Gen. Soe Win (since October 19, 2004), is not the head of government cabinet: State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); military junta, so named November 15, 1997, which initially assumed power on September 18, 1988 under the name State Law and Order Restoration Council; the SPDC oversees the cabinet elections: none

Legislative branch:

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

Elections: Last held on May 27, 1990, but Assembly never convened Election results: Per cent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NLD 392, SNLD 23, NUP 10, other 60

Political parties and leaders: National League for Democracy or NLD [Aung Shwe, chairman, Aung San Suu Kyi, general secretary]; National Unity Party or NUP (progovernment) [Tha Kyaw]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [Khun Htun Oo]; 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 recognised by the military regime (the group fled to a border area and joined with insurgents in December 1990 to form a parallel government); several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (progovernment, a social and political organisation) [Than Aung, general secretary]