Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, marked a new phase in the struggle to bring democracy to the land, by making her historic first appearance in parliament.
‘I will try my best for the country’ she told AFP, as she embarked on her first day.
Suu Kyi united with fellow members of her National League for Democracy (NLD), as both the party and its leader emerge as mainstream political players in the light of a landmark result in the April by-elections, in which the party won 43 out of 45 seats at stake.
The opposition leader’s entrance to parliament comes at an uncertain time for Burma, as recent violence and student arrests have cast a shadow over promising democratic reforms.
Her arrival comes ahead of an expected change of personnel in the highest ranks of the regime, including senior hard-line members.
Suu Kyi pledged that her party will join the ‘legislative concert’ and push for greater transparency once inside parliament.
Suu Kyi’s attendance in parliament helps to give some legitimacy to a parliament that is still dominated by the military and its political allies, which came into occurrence during the questionable November 2010 elections, when Suu kyi was still a political prisoner.
Even military men welcomed the activist, despite her party’s plans to ease them out of legislature by abolishing the constitutional provisions that allocate the military a quarter of the seats.
‘It’s good that she arrived today, we all welcome her’ said Brigadier General Wai Lin.
The NLD’s involvement in mainstream politics comes due to vast changes made by the new regime that lead to the release of hundreds of political prisoners, including high profile Aung San Suu Kyi, who was held under house arrest for the most part of the past 20 years.
