Jun 26, 2011, 10:29 GMT
Yangon - Myanmar's newly elected House Speaker has led a delegation to Russia to study its parliamentary system as part of a 'capacity building' exercise for the pro-military government.
People's Parliament speaker Shwe Mann led a delegation in a visit to the Russian parliament on Saturday at the invitation of B.V Gryzlov, chairman of the Duma federal assembly of Russian Federation, the New Light of Myanmar reported.
'The Hluttaw (Parliament) representatives are trying to build their capacity,' Shwe Mann told parliament representatives in Yangon on Friday, the day before his departure to Russia.
'In this regard, measures are being taken to conduct self-study, hold discussions and workshops and exchange visits between Hluttaw representatives and MPs of other nations,' said the former general.
Shwe Mann is one of the leading figures in Myanmar's new government, which came of office on March 30 following the general election on November 7.
The election was won by the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which is packed with former generals and high-ranking miliary men who doffed their uniforms to take up civilian posts.
The election, which excluded opposition leader Aung Sann Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party, was criticized as a 'sham' but most western democracies.
'The Hluttaws must accept criticism of the people and assessment of the international community,' Shwe Mann said, before departing for a study course in parliamentary democracy in Russia.
Myanmar has three houses of parliament, a lower house, upper house and a third house representing the separate regions.
All three houses include 25 per cent appointees by the military, assuring them veto power over any legislation.
Myanmar was ruled by military dictatorships between 1962 to 2010, and is now under a military-managed elected government.
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