Major Myanmar Opposition Party Wins Clear Victory in General Election

The national election on Sunday, the first credible vote in a generation, was a rout of the military-backed ruling party, which at the last count had won only 40 seats.

Blogger Nay Phone Latt spent years in prison under Myanmar’s former junta, but preparing to enter parliament as a newly minted MP for Aung San Suu Kyi’s democracy party, he refuses to let the darkness of the past tiresome optimism for the country’s future.

Ban acknowledged the “courage and vision” of Thein Sein, whose quasi-civilian government he said had led Myanmar to Sunday’s election through reforms it implemented since coming to power. The NLD has so far won 110 seats in the 228-seat upper house, according to Myanmar Times, where only 168 seats were up for election.

Thursday 7:15 p.m.

“I think it’s important we know who has won this election, and now the very hard work of moving beyond the human rights abuses of the government comes into play”. “It is a critical milestone in evaluating Burma’s democratic transition”.

Confirmation of the landslide win comes five years to the day since Aung San Suu Kyi, the magnetic force behind the country’s democracy movement, was released from house arrest by the military.

Those results seem virtually certain to allow the opposition to take over the government. “Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition has won an absolute majority to govern after weekend polls that herald a historic shift in power in Myanmar”.

The BBC reports that a few 30 million people were eligible to vote in the election, and turnout was estimated at about 80%. A notable, indeed stunning victory, but a hard road still lies ahead for Myanmar.

About 140,000 Rohingya live in squalid camps while thousands more have fled by boat, leading to a regional migration crisis.

The NLD landslide – which means it will form a government on its own – has spoiled hopes by ethnic parties that they would be kingmakers in national politics, trading support for cabinet seats and a strong say in efforts to unwind the country’s highly centralised government. But the military’s acceptance of this outcome owes in part to the fact that the constitution sets aside a quarter of parliamentary seats for unelected military personnel.

With the latest results from the election commission, Suu Kyi’s majority in the lower house is big enough to give the NLD an overall majority in the joint chambers.

The transfer of power should take place after the new Parliament meets early next year and votes on a new president, along with two vice presidents.

“We won’t be able to solve the problem as long as the worldwide community is supporting and standing for the Bengalis”, said ANP vice-chairman Phone Minn, using the government’s term for the group, which insinuates they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

“He will have no authority”.

China has taken a pragmatic approach to Ms Suu Kyi since it became clear that the party she leads would likely take power.