Suu Kyi landslide leaves Myanmar ethnic parties behind

First, Myanmar’s constitution sort of undercuts the election results; the military is still in mandatory control of 25 percent of the seats in parliament, along with crucial ministries like home and defense.

Recalling her visit to Nepal previous year to mark the 100th birth anniversary of the late BP Koirala, the first elected Prime Minister of Nepal, and an inspiring address on the relevance of social democracy, President Koirala added, “We share your unswerving faith in democracy and humanity”.

While an NLD majority assures it of being able to elect the president, Suu Kyi remains barred from the highest office by a constitutional provision inserted by the military before it transferred power to Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian government in 2011.

Myanmar’s main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has won majority in Sunday’s parliamentary polls and the right to form a new government independently in the south Asian nation ruled by an isolationist military junta.

President Koirala has praised the courage and commitment shown by the people of Myanmar in the recent election.

Ms Suu Kyi defied calls by ethnic parties not to run candidates in minority-dominated seats.

Asked why so many people voted for her party, she said: “Our hearts beat in the same note”. Another provision bars Suu Kyi from the presidency because her sons hold foreign citizenship.

Thizarli Htut Htut, 18, poses with her inked finger outside the residence of Myanmar opposition leader and head of the National League for Democracy (NLD) Aung San Suu Kyi after she casted her vote at a polling station in Yangon on November 8, 2015.

The ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) had so far won 102 seats – 28 in the House of Representatives, 12 in the House of Nationalities, and 62 in the Region or State Parliaments.

“Since we are having a landslide majority, there is no way we would consider a coalition” with ethnic parties, NLD spokesman Win Htein told Reuters.

All those restrictions make it hard for the government to tackle the most pressing issue facing the country since independence from Britain in 1948: relations among the central government, the majority Burmans and the country’s many ethnic minorities and their desire to establish a federal union instead of the present, centralised system. The Rohingya, subject to widespread mob violence, have been herded into camps, where many have attempted to flee to neighboring countries-triggering a refugee crisis throughout Southeast Asia that mirrors the plight of Syrians trying to reach Europe.

Closer to the Burmese heartland, the new government must deal with discontent in rural areas, where farmers have seen their land confiscated and given to crony businessmen close to the military.

Despite possessing the rights to nominate a president of the next government, the NLD is yet to disclose the person selected for the presidency.

So how to turn this affection into genuine political power? The military automatically receives 25 percent of the seats in each house of Parliament.

The victor becomes president and forms a government, while the losers become vice presidents with largely ceremonial responsibilities. The vote for the presidency will take place after the new members take their seats in both houses in February.