DECISIONS regarding the responsibility of a parliament, the rights of citizens and the role of the military in a democratic government are the top three issues on the agenda of the National Convention when more than 1000 delegates get down to business tomorrow (October 10) at the Nyaunghnapin resort, located northwest of Yangon.

At a meeting of the National Convention Convening Commission, held in the capital Nay Pyi Taw on September 2, Lieutenant General Thein Sein, Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council, said discussions on these three issues have been completed at previous sessions and the convention is expected to finalise its decisions at the current session.

According to the Secretary-1, three quarters of the work of the National Convention is now complete.

The delegates, which have been drawn from almost every stratum of Myanmar’s society, are charged with drafting a new constitution – the third since the country won independence from Great Britain in 1948.

Previous sessions of the convention were held in May 2004, January 2005 and December 2005 to January of this year.

What remains to be discussed are eight fundamental principles to be enshrined into the new constitution, including how to hold elections, the formation and role of political parties, conditions for the declaration of a state of emergency, and procedures for amending the constitution.

The design of the state flag, a state emblem, a national anthem and the location of the capital will also be considered.

Tomorrow’s session will be the fourth since the convention was re-started in May 2004.

The National Convention is the first step in a seven stage road map to democracy announced by the SPDC in August 2003.

In all, the convention has already agreed upon 104 basic principles, including those regarding state structure, the role of the head of state as well as the formation of legislative, executive and judiciary bodies.

Lt Gen Thein Sein, who is the chairman of the convening commission, told those present at its September 2 meeting that the government placed paramount significance on the drafting of the new constitution.

“The convening of the National Convention and the drafting of the constitution that will be in conformity with a democracy to be practiced in the future are of utmost importance,” he told the commission.

He told a separate meeting of the commission on September 9 that all 1086 delegates who attended the previous three sessions of the National Convention would be invited for the new session, apart from those who were unable to attend due to old age and illness and those who have retired from government service.

He said delegates for the session starting from tomorrow have been drawn from eight categories of society – 29 from political parties, 13 who won seats in the elections of 1990, 633 representing national races, 93 peasant delegates, 48 worker delegates, 56 intellectuals, 109 government personnel and 105 delegates from armed national groups.

Participants were due to report at the convention’s venue, the Nyaunghnapin resort, located some 35 km northwest of Yangon, by October 7.

After being finalised, the draft constitution will be put to a national referendum for approval, followed by parliamentary elections.