with the launch of the first civilian dominated parliament for more than 50 years.

Hundreds of new MPs from Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for democracy,

including formal political prisoners gathered in the vast legislature of complex in the military built capital city of Naypyidaw.

The sitting launch is what could be weeks of debate and deal making to choose a president to lead the new government.

It was a thrilling day for MPs swept to power by the trouncing delivered in November by the NLD

to the military back union solidarity and development party,

which had dominated the previous parliament after the ruling junta stepped down in 2011,

after almost half a century in power.

We are new. This parliament is better than the first one.

We can do more, we can try more, and we can try for the best.

The NLD captured of about 80% of the available seats. It's enough to give them the majority,

even though a quarter of the seats are reserved for the military.

It also means the NLD block will have control over parliament's choice of president to succeed Thein Sein.

The ex-general, who had led the country for the past five years.

All eyes are now on Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi.

The new parliament caps her remarkable journey from an old election victory in 1990

and the 15 years and the house arrest that followed.

She is constitutionally barred from the highest office herself

because her two sons by her late British husband holds foreign passports.

Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi has declared that she will appoint to figurehead president and make the decisions herself.

But Myanmar's transition has been so remarkable that

some observers still don't rule out last attempt for her to take the prize herself.

Michael Peel, Financial Times.