Naypyidaw:
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Monday that she will swear an oath in Parliament "as soon as possible", after a political impasse that saw her delay her debut in the legislature.
In a dramatic climbdown, the Nobel laureate told reporters at her National League for Democracy (NLD) party headquarters in Yangon that she would pledge to "safeguard" the army-created constitution.
"We will go as soon as possible to attend the parliament," she said, ending a dispute seen as the first sign of tension with the government since she won a parliamentary seat in historic April 1 by-elections.
"Some people might ask, given that we didn't accept the wording of 'safeguard' in the beginning, why we accept now. The reason we accept it, firstly is the desire of the people. Our voters voted for us because they want to see us in the Parliament."
The announcement comes a week after the veteran activist declined to attend the fledgling parliament.
Ms Suu Kyi's decision has meant that she was not present in the legislature in the capital Naypyidaw to witness Monday's landmark speech by visiting UN Chief Ban Ki-moon -- the first address by a foreign dignitary.
Members of the NLD -- the main opposition force after securing 43 of the 44 seats it contested in the by-elections -- are now set to attend the Parliament on Tuesday morning "to take an oath", party member Win Htein told Agence France Presse (AFP).
The democracy icon has spent much of the past two decades locked up, but she was freed in 2010 and her election to the Parliament has been hailed by the international community as a step towards democracy in the long-isolated nation.
The NLD, which boycotted a controversial 2010 election, agreed to rejoin the political mainstream last year after authorities changed a similar phrase in party registration laws.
Ms Suu Kyi has said that one of her priorities as a politician is to push for an amendment of the 2008 constitution, under which one quarter of the seats in the Parliament are reserved for unelected military officials.
Myanmar has seen a rapid improvement in relations with the West under a new reformist regime which has implemented a slew of positive changes since coming to power last year, including freeing political prisoners.
Ms Suu Kyi has shown increased confidence in the reformist government of President Thein Sein in recent weeks, calling for the suspension of European Union (EU) sanctions and planning her first international trip in 24 years.
Last week, European Union nations put a halt to most sanctions against the impoverished nation for one year to reward a series of dramatic reforms since direct army rule ended last year.
Top EU diplomat Catherine Ashton is also in Myanmar for talks with Mr Thein Sein and Ms Suu Kyi. She opened a new EU office in Yangon on Saturday that will mostly oversee the management of aid programmes but also have a political role, in a first step towards establishing a full diplomatic mission.