The US State Department says Burma's National Convention to draft a new constitution provides neither a credible process leading toward a more representative government, nor a means for genuine national reconciliation.
In a statement released Monday, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said the convention, being held near Rangoon, lacks credibility because it includes only hand -picked delegates, prohibits free and open debate and excludes Burma's democratic opposition and key ethnic groups.
Burmese officials call the constitutional talks a first step in the transition to what they call a "disciplined democracy."
Many Burmese political groups are absent from the talks -- in particular, the National League for Democracy, which won Burma's last elections 15 years ago, but has never been allowed to govern.
