[JURIST] The government of Myanmar [JURIST news archive] announced plans Tuesday to reconvene negotiations on a new constitution [JURIST news archive] for a final session next month. The national constitutional drafting convention, tasked with creating guidelines for a more democratic constitution, has been on hold since December 2006. The country's military regime announced the plan after being criticized by the West [JURIST report] for its political practices and continued house arrest of pro-democratic leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi [advocacy website]. The acting prime minister, Lt. Gen. Thein Sein [Wikipedia profile], said the constitutional convention is scheduled to resume on July 18.

Critics contend the convention may be for show as delegates are all chosen by the government, which also retains the decisive vote on any guidelines the convention creates. In addition, democracy advocate Suu Kyi remains under house arrest. Suu Kyi has spent 11 of the past 17 years in prison or under house arrest for alleged violations of an anti-subversion law [text]. AP has more.