The new parliament in Burma has convened for the first time since elections were held last November.
The poll was widely criticised by Western governments and by democracy activists within Burma.
The first sitting of the two-chambered national parliament brings into effect a new constitution and officially ends nearly 50 years of military rule.
But critics say the real power in Burma will still be in the hands of a few key generals.
A quarter of seats in parliament are reserved for serving members of the armed forces.
In Burma's remote jungle capital, Naypyitaw, newly-elected politicians and their newly-appointed military equivalents opened their session in a newly-built parliament at 0855 local time (0225 GMT), a time chosen for its auspiciousness.
The vast majority of the seats are occupied by members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which is backed by the current military government. BBC News
