Daughter of first Burmese prime minister forms political party

"Daw (Madame) Than Than Nu, a daughter of U Nu, is a secretary general for the newly formed Democratic Party," Thu Wei, chairman of to the newly established party, told a press conference.

The party will be registered after an election law is promulgated by the ruling junta, Thu Wei said.

U Nu was Burma's first prime minister after the South-East Asian country was granted independence in 1948 from Great Britain, it's former colonial master.

 He served three premierships until 1962, when U Nu was overthrown by a coup led by General Ne Win, the strongman who dragged Myanmar, also called Burma, down its disastrous slide into socialism under military dictatorship. U Nu died in 1995.

 The current ruling junta has vowed to hold an election next year to usher in "discipline flourishing" democracy, which will include a senate top-heavy with appointed military men and controls over the budget.

 The junta has yet to issue an election law that will make clear which political parties will qualify to contest next year's polls.

 It remains to be seen whether the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, will contest the polls, although party officials have indicated they will not.

 The NLD won the last election in 1990 by a landslide, but was blocked from assuming power by the military.