Burma prepares for new president

Burma's new parliament will be selecting the first civilian president in more than 50 years on Thursday.

They are choosing from a list of five names, which does not include long-time military leader Than Shwe, whose ruling junta calls the country Myanmar.

“The whole process is a sham,” says Zoya Phan, Campaigns Manager at Burma Campaign UK. “It has nothing to do with civilian government. It is about strengthening military rule.

She told Vatican Radio the new constitution of the country insists that the two vice-presidents of the country must be associated with the military.

“In the end, it does not matter who the president is,” she said. “The regime is still there and the policy is still there – nothing has changed in Burma.”

Listen to the full interview by Charles Collins with Zoya Phan: