Obama congratulates Suu Kyi on historic voting in Myanmar

Later on Wednesday the opposition leader called for “national reconciliation” talks with Myanmar’s president and the nation’s powerful army chief, saying citizens had “expressed their will in the election”.

NLD was formed in September 1988 following a military occupation lead by General Saw Maung.

“He said America would continue cooperating with the Myanmar government”.

Modi made the call on his way to Britain for a three-day visit.

But Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) is on the verge of tipping the balance of power after capturing more than 85 per cent of seats declared so far from Sunday’s election – a huge stride in the party’s long democracy struggle.

San Suu Kyi has reportedly also been congratulated by Myanmar’s current president, Thein Sein – a considerable step forward from what happened the last time she won an election. 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.

Ye Htut said the government will pursue a peaceful transfer of power “in accordance with the legislated timeline”. He congratulated Suu Kyi for “gathering the support of the people”.

“A people’s army should be hand-in-glove with the people”.

Suu Kyi herself also won as a representative re-elected to the House of Representatives (Lower House).

Relations between Suu Kyi and armed forces chief Min Aung Hlaing are said to be strained.

Myanmar’s military, which took power in a 1962 coup and brutally suppressed several pro-democracy uprisings during its rule, gave way to Thein Sein’s nominally civilian elected government in 2011 – with strings attached.

Suu Kyi, who retained her seat in Kawhmu constituency, has vowed to rule from “above the president”, indicating she will use a proxy to sidestep the bar on her taking the top office. She has reiterated that this prohibition will not stop her “from making all the decisions”.

Due to a clause in the constitution, Suu Kyi can not become president.

“He will have no authority”.

She described that plan further in an interview Tuesday with Singapore’s Channel News Asia television.

Where as the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party had a total of 51 seats, that includes four in the Upper House, 17 in the Lower House and 30 in the Region or State Parliament.

The NLD needed a massive victory to be able to stop an anti-NLD coalition, which would have needed only a third of the elected seats to form the government given that quarter of the seats are reserved for the army.