Myanmar parliament speaker hopes for smooth democratic transition

Naypyidaw, Aug 18  Myanmar's parliament speaker U Shwe Mann on Tuesday hoped the country would witness the democratic reform in a smooth and stable way, Xinhua reported.

Responding to the leadership change of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), he told the House of Representatives that he did not want to bring matters of the party to the parliament.

U Htay Oo, who replaced U Shwe Mann as the USDP chairman on August 13, said the party's leadership change was done with consolidation within the party and it would not bear grudge over any person.

The party would enter the November 8 general election without change of its candidates, he said, stressing that there was also no change in the party's policy.