NLD secures enough seats for two presidential candidates

Sunday’s election has left the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in tatters, taking just a handful of seats so far, with several party heavyweights bundled out of their constituencies by voters.

The NLD has so far taken 134 of 149 seats declared of the 330 seats not allocated to the military in the lower house – enough to suggest it is on course for a comfortable absolute majority that would secure its candidates for president and one of the two vice president positions.

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party is expected to win a massive victory in the parliamentary elections that will for the first time in more than a half century give the country a government not controlled or influenced by the military.

Such unambiguous endorsement of Suu Kyi’s victory could smooth the post-election transition, ahead of the first session of parliament which reconvenes on Monday. For one, the constitution stipulates that no one with foreign children can be President, effectively ruling out Suu Kyi who has two.

She sent similar letters to the president and the speaker of the lower house of Parliament.

This is believed to be the most democratic election in the country in 25 years.

NLD co-founder Tin Oo said the party expects win about 80% of the votes – putting it on pace with the party’s 1990 landslide that the military annulled. And a provision bars Ms Suu Kyi from the presidency as her sons hold foreign citizenship. In an interview with the BBC Tuesday, she insisted that she will continue to make all decisions as NLD leader, regardless of who emerges as president.

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.

Suu Kyi on Wednesday called for national reconciliation talks with the powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing and Thein Sein, stressing the need for a peaceful transition.

Thein Sein, a former army general, also congratulated the 70-year-old Noble laureate in a letter, saying the government will pursue a transfer of power “in accordance within the legislated timeframe”.

Myanmar, which was long ruled by a military regime, will move toward a new government in the coming weeks after millions voted Sunday in what observers said was a reasonably fair election.

Aung San Suu Kyi was quite confident and appeared to sense that her hour has come. Ms Suu Kyi appealed for a meeting with the two men on Wednesday to ensure the “people’s will” is respected as the vote count dragged on.

“We would like to congratulate the National League for Democracy because it is leading in the election results”, the army said in the statement.

Under an army-crafted 2008 constitution, the military retain a quarter of the seats in parliament, a voting bloc that gives them an effective veto on changing that controversial document.