YANGON (REUTERS) - Thousands of people rallied in Myanmar's commercial capital on Wednesday (Feb 27) in support ofconstitutional reform, amid mounting tension between the ruling party and the military over changes to the charter that enshrines the army's role in politics. Protesters gathered in the centre of Yangon to hear speeches by veteran democracy activists while singers led the crowd in chants of "take a rest, military dictatorship", in the second demonstration in the city in a week.

Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party launched a surprise bid in January to change the charter, pushing through Parliament a proposal to form a committee to devise amendments despite objections from military-aligned lawmakers.

The proposal was Ms Suu Kyi's biggest challenge to the army's power in nearly three years, and sparked a protest in the legislature from green-clad military appointees, who stood in silence for several minutes to show their opposition.
It was later approved by Parliament, where the ruling NLD commands a large majority.

Under the charter, the military is guaranteed a quarter of seats in Parliament and any change requires a vote of more than 75 per cent of members, giving the army an effective veto.

The charter also gives the military control of ministries responsible for security, including defense and home affairs.