Myanmar Set to Choose Leader

Legislature in Secretive, Military-Controlled State on Monday Convenes for First Time in Two Decades.

Myanmar convened its first parliament in more than two decades on Monday, setting the stage for the selection of a new president to head one of Asia’s most secretive states.

Although analysts and residents say they doubt much will change in the near term in Myanmar, a resource-rich state controlled by the military since the early 1960s, the latest steps are being watched closely by foreign diplomats and investors for any sign the country is becoming more open to reform—an outcome investors hope could lead to a softening of Western economic sanctions.