Burma’s opposition National League for Democracy, or NLD, will maintain its current policy toward the National Convention if the military regime doesn’t change things substantially, said NLD secretary U Lwin on Monday.

The NLD has not committed to attending the convention tasked with drawing up a new national constitution, which is due to restart on May 17. It was dissolved in 1996 after the NLD walked out claiming the proceedings undemocratic.

"Now, the current situation is far behind ‘back to square one’," U Lwin told The Irrawaddy this afternoon by telephone from NLD headquarters in Rangoon. He said he hasn’t seen any substantial improvements yet, nor any evidence that the junta will make improvements quickly.

When Aung San Suu Kyi is freed and sees substantial improvements, such as the mass release of political prisoners and the reopening of all closed NLD offices, she will be happy and say that those are improvements, said U Lwin.

But he claimed that she would not think current conditions represent anything special—that is, the release of NLD central executive committee members and the reopening of only the party headquarters.

The junta allowed the National League for Democracy’s headquarters in Rangoon to open on Saturday, almost 11 months after it closed all the party’s offices. On Monday the government allowed the NLD’s telephone line to be reconnected.

U Lwin said he had no idea when Suu Kyi will be released. She and vice chairman Tin Oo are now the only two of the party’s nine-member central executive committee still under house arrest.

The secretary claimed that military authorities told U Lwin and other NLD executives that the new National Convention will go ahead next month without the National League for Democracy if it chooses not to take part.

The re-launch of the convention is the first of a seven-step roadmap announced by Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt in August last year for democratic reform.

U Lwin said he is happy as he can start working now. "I will be more happy if we achieve triumph."