Politics
Union of Burma
Capital: Rangoon (Yangon)
Government Type: Nominally civilian parliamentary government Independence Day: January 4, 1948 National Holiday: Union Day February 12 Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.: Ambassador Than Swe chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 Consolates: None Diplomatic Representation from the U.S.: Ambassador Derek J. Mitchell 110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon Consolates: Auckland Representative to the UN: Tin Khaw National Symbol: Chinthe (mythical lion) |
Flag Symbolism: The design revives the triband colors used by Burma from 1943-45, during the Japanese occupation.
|
Executive Branch: President elected by the parliament from among three vice presidents; the upper house, the lower house, and military members of the parliament each nominate one vice president; cabinet is appointed by the president and confirmed by the parliament
Legislative Branch: Bicameral, consists of the House of Nationalities [Amyotha Hluttaw] (224 seats, 168 directly elected and 56 appointed by the military; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Representatives [Pythu Hluttaw] (440 seats, 330 directly elected and 110 appointed by the military; members serve five-year terms). 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; the 2011 constitution calls for a Supreme Court, a Courts-Martial, and a Constitutional Tribunal of the Union. |