The ruling Communist Party hosted Aung San Suu Kyi in June, during which she met with China’s president and party leader, Xi Jinping, in a sign of Beijing’s willingness to adapt to the changing political landscape. “It shouldn’t be like that”, he told reporters after a party meeting at Suu Kyi’s house.
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Elections were not held in seven constituencies, meaning a simple majority can be reached at 329 seats. In the upper house, the NLD won 29 out of 33 announced races.
Richard Horsey, an independent political analyst, said: “The really big surprise in these results wasn’t the drubbing that the USDP got, or the NLD landslide, it was the massive defeat suffered by most ethnic minority parties”.
Suu Kyi has declared, however, that she will become the country’s de facto leader, acting “above the president”, if her party forms the next government.
“As the government, we will respect and obey the election results and transfer power peacefully”. He was not immediately available for comment.
“Mother Suu”, as she is affectionately known, has said a democratic government would not seek to punish historic abuses by the military and a large parliamentary majority would increase her leverage against the army bloc.
Although poll officials are yet to announce the NLD as winners, Myanmar’s balance of power, dominated for half a century by the army and its allies, appears set to be redrawn.
Gambling that USA engagement would be more effective than decades of isolating Myanmar, Obama also eased sanctions that had hindered the economy.
Jason Carter also highlighted “serious flaws in the overall constitutional framework”, a reference to provisions in the military-imposed charter that reserve powers for the army at the expense of the elected.
“So, even with the people behind her, Aung San Suu Kyi will face problems – because if she tries to force her way with the military, it will be like banging her head against the wall”, Robertson said.
It says she won 54,676 votes, without giving details for the losing ruling party candidate, or how many eligible voters there were. “And the president will be one whom we will choose just in order to meet the requirements of the constitution”, she said. “He will act in accordance with the decisions of the party”, said Suu Kyi, adding that the president will be “told exactly what he can do”.
Aung San Suu Kyi is blocked by the Myanmar constitution from becoming president but said last week that she meant to be “above the president” if her party won sufficient seats.
Obama called the Nobel Peace Prize victor who spent more than a decade under house arrest and praised her “tireless efforts and sacrifice over so many years to promote a more inclusive, peaceful and democratic Burma”.
Obama also called Thein Sein to congratulate the country on its success in conducting the elections and stressed the importance of respecting the outcome, it said. The British Embassy yesterday issued a statement with Cameron’s response to the election, as results continued to indicate a massive victory by opposition leader Suu Kyi. “Congratulations … to the chairperson Aung San Suu Kyi and her party for gathering the support of the people”.
While Myanmar’s people voted overwhelmingly Sunday to remove the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party from power, it’s clear that the army’s involvement in politics won’t end, and the NLD will need to convince it to co-operate. Tin Oo, a senior colleague of Suu Kyi, told The Associated Press the party is likely to receive “nearly” 81 percent of the vote.
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If the NLD secures a two-thirds majority of the parliamentary seats at stake, it will gain control over the executive posts under Myanmar’s complicated parliamentary-presidency system. It says no person with a foreign spouse or children can become president.
