Myanmar government vows peaceful transition of power

Aung San Suu Kyi called for “national reconciliation” talks with Myanmar’s president and the nation’s powerful army chief on Wednesday (Nov 11) as her pro-democracy party sat poised for a landslide election victory.

“Citizens have expressed their will in the election”, she said in letters addressed to President Thein Sein, Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing as well as influential parliamentary speaker Shwe Mann. The polls were the country’s first contested national elections in 25 years.

Aung San Suu Kyi spent most of her life fighting to get Myanmar democracy – she even spent 15 years under house arrest. “It is very important for the dignity of the country and to bring peace of mind to the people”, Suu Kyi said in the letter. “Anyway, they must meet, if they are going to discuss a peaceful power transfer”.

If the trend is confirmed by the final results, Suu Kyi’s victory will sweep out a guard of former generals that has run Myanmar since the junta handed over power to President Thein Sein’s semi-civilian government in 2011.

“He [Thein Sein] also added that we will meet with political leaders for stability in the post-election transitional period”, Ye Htut told RFA’s Myanmar Service.

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 won more than 250 seats to about 20 for the USDP.

“Both the president and military chief now know the people’s wishes and attitudes”, said writer Kyaw Yin Myint.

There was no word on the army chief’s response to Ms Suu Kyi’s letter. But he previously said the military would uphold the results of the first free election in a quarter century, even though his relationship with Aung San Suu Kyi is reportedly strained.

Ye Htut meanwhile said the president’s office would “negotiate bilaterally” for a meeting with the aspiring leader once vote-counting had been completed, and reiterated earlier assurances that the government and the army would abide by the election results.

The party says it has guided the country through the major economic and social reforms that led to Sunday’s election, which saw 80 percent voter turnout. Such a deal is necessary to end decades of civil war and move on to political dialogue.

Suu Kyi also requested a meeting with former USDP chairman Shwe Mann, the lower house speaker.

Aung San Suu Kyi was spearheading proposed amendments to the constitution that would limit the power of military representatives, but parliament rejected the changes. “I would like to invite you to discuss national reconciliation next week at a time of your convenience”.

Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy looks set for a landslide win after the nationwide polls, winning almost 90% of the seats declared so far in the upper and lower houses of parliament.

Myanmar’s transition to greater democracy after decades of military rule surged ahead as the government promised a peaceful transition of power.

This time, Ms Suu Kyi was prohibited from running for the presidency because of a constitutional change forbidding those whose children or spouses hold foreign citizenship – as her late husband did and her children do.

Suu Kyi, however, has vowed to rule from “above the president”, indicating she will use a proxy to sidestep the bar on her reaching top office.

Reported by Thinn Thiri, Khin Khin Ei and Kyaw Tun Naing for RFA’s Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet March Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.