NLD spokesman Nyan Win welcomed the confirmation of his party’s victory, saying that even though it was expected, it would now give the party more freedom to act.
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The Nobel laureate has pledged to rule Myanmar regardless of a junta-era constitution that bars her from the presidency, a legally uncertain plan that could stir problems with the army.
It is with vast pleasure that I extend my warmest congratulations on the historic victory achieved by the National League for Democracy (NLD) at the election held on 8th November 2015.
The continuing peace process with armed ethnic groups similarly depends on the home, defence and border affairs ministries.
Suu Kyi has taken a conciliatory approach following the elections requesting talks with Thein Sein army chief Min Aung Hlaing and parliamentary speaker Shwe Mann – heavyweights from the former junta.
“The election result represents the people’s retribution against the military, which kept them under its boots for decades”, said Aung Din, a former political prisoner and prominent journalist. Some 99 percent of seats have been declared so far and the UEC said yesterday the remainder would be announced by November 20 at the latest.
The military has already said it will abide by the election result.
“This time, although we are quite glad that we won, we worry that history may repeat itself”.
Thein Sein said in his speech that the transfer of power will be conducted “peacefully and steadily” and asked parties other than the NLD to fulfill their checking functions both within and outside parliament.
Eight ethnic armed groups recently signed a nationwide ceasefire agreement with the government and political parties will participate in the drafting of a framework for a political dialogue for a permanent solution to those groups’ demands.
Although many have lived in Myanmar for generations, the Rohingya are not one of the 135 ethnic groups recognized under the country’s citizenship law and are thus entitled to only limited rights. It was not clear if Win Htein, one of the most influential politicians in the party, was speaking on behalf of the party or giving a personal view.
“The NLD has overachieved in the election but there is a strong chance it will underachieve in government unless it takes (these) necessary steps”, he said.
The writer is a US-based political scientist and author of three books on Myanmar, including the forthcoming Democratisation Of Myanmar. But the NLD will face the same imperatives that compelled the generals to begin moving away from global isolation in the first place: the need to balance relations among outside powers, including China, and court investment from all corners.
The election victory came five years to the day since she was released from her house arrest. While ownership of the democratization process belongs to the government and the people of Myanmar, the worldwide community, including Japan, should continue to support Myanmar’s democratization process so that genuine democracy can take root at an early date.
The NLD said they are seeking a goal for national reconciliation in the country.
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The time period of the present authorities will expire on the finish of March 2016. But it also raises the risk of prolonged standoffs between the two that destabilize Naypyidaw and cripple the ability of the next government to address important outstanding issues, most notably the intractable ethnic conflicts still raging in several parts of Myanmar’s upland periphery.
