But in a historic, once-unthinkable turnaround, Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy will be able to form a single-party government early next year in Myanmar, formerly one of the world’s most durable military dictatorships.
Advertisement
Noor Bagum would have liked to have voted for Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) but, like the majority of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority, she took no part in the historic election the Nobel laureate won by a landslide.
“We have been ready to form a new government for many years”, party spokesman Nyan Win told AFP, greeting the result.
The tally from Sunday’s vote is still being counted and the election commission is expected to complete the announcement of the results within days.
Given the landslide win for the NLD, people still fear a repeat of the 1990 elections when the military junta refused to recognise a similar NLD landslide and filled the prisons with its leaders and supporters. The military-backed party has taken only 40 seats in parliament, after controlling the government since a 2010 election – boycotted by Suu Kyi’s party – brought the nominally civilian party to power.
Suu Kyi’s party was on the verge of victory Thursday with results from Sunday’s parliamentary elections still coming in.
President Barack Obama congratulated Suu Kyi for her party’s success in the elections.
After decades of defiance, Myanmar’s indomitable democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi now stands on the cusp of government, an global symbol of resistance in the face of brutal authoritarianism.
In Yangon there were no immediate signs of celebration after the party figurehead urged restraint from supporters, aware of the threat of a backlash in a country where the army’s writ remains large.
This includes provisions for military influence in Parliament – a guaranteed 25% of seats; a role in choosing the president; a clause that bans Suu Kyi from gaining that position; and the right to seize power again under certain conditions.
Rhodes said Obama would meet with the Myanmar president, along with other regional leaders, during his Asia trip this month.
Under the Myanmar constitution, elected representatives are entitled to 75 percent of the seats at each level of the Myanmar parliament.
Aung Ko Ko, who now runs an organization promoting interfaith harmony, said a key test of whether the NLD can offer the Rohingya any hope depends on whether or not they try to revise the citizenship law.
Burma’s military took power in a 1962 coup and brutally suppressed several pro-democracy uprisings during its rule.
In letters published in local media, Suu Kyi had requested a joint meeting with the commander in chief of Myanmar’s armed forces, the chairman of the parliament and Thein Sein.
The latest election was conducted without any major disturbances, although there were flaws in the process including a few people being unable to register on voter lists.
Advertisement
Ye Htut said the government will pursue a peaceful transfer of power “in accordance with the legislated timeline”. Even if a change in power does occur, the NLD will sooner or later become unable to keep going without the cooperation of the military and the USDP.
