Myanmar swears in new president

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YANGON, Mar 30 (AFP): Myanmar Wednesday swore in Thein Sein as its new president, an official source said, completing an official transfer of power from the ruling junta to a nominally civilian government. Myanmar's military government has been officially dissolved, state television said, after the new president of a civilian-led parliament was sworn in. Senior General Than Shwe, who has ruled Myanmar for the last two decades, has given up his last official role as head of Myanmar's armed forces. But critics dismiss the new system as a continuation of the old in a new guise. It follows November's elections which were widely criticised by the West and Myanmar pro-democracy campaigners. The BBC's South East Asia correspondent Rachel Harvey says the key question is what happens to the all-powerful outgoing head of state, Gen Than Shwe. Myanmar state TV said Gen Than Shwe had "officially dissolved" the military regime's State Peace and Development Council. "Altogether 58 new cabinet members including the president, two vice-presidents, officials and ministers were sworn in this morning at the Union Parliament" in Naypyidaw, an official was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.