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Burma elections: Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD party wins landslide victory

Despite her party's win, Ms Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from becoming president

Alexander Sehmer
Friday 13 November 2015 09:16 GMT
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Ms Suu Kyi has said she will be "above the president" if her party forms the next government
Ms Suu Kyi has said she will be "above the president" if her party forms the next government

Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party has won a parliamentary majority in Burma's elections.

With the full tally of votes still being counted, the electoral commission announced on Friday that the National League for Democracy (NLD) had already won more than the 329-seats needed for a majority in Burma's two-house parliament.

With over two thirds of the vote the NLD will be able to select the next president, who can then name a cabinet and form a new government.

Although Ms Suu Kyi's party was expected to win, few had envisaged a victory on this scale.

Burma's military rulers are yet to concede defeat for the ruling, pro-military USDP party, but the army has acknowledged the massive success of the NLD and pledged it will respect the final results.

Although Ms Suu Kyi's party was expected to win, few had envisaged a victory on this scale

Burma's combined houses of parliament are made up of 664 seats, but elections were not held in seven constituencies, meaning a simple majority could be reached with 329 seats.

So far official figures show the NLD has won 238 seats in the lower house, allowing it to pass legislation, and 110 in the upper house, for a total of 348.

In comparison, the ruling pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party has won 40 seats, according to the latest results.

Under the constitution the military, which has run the country for the last half a century, automatically receives 25 per cent of the seats in each house.

The office of army commander Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the military will hold talks with Ms Suu Kyi after the election results are complete.

Ms Suu Kyi issued an invitation on Wednesday for a meeting with the commander, along with President Thein Sein and House Speaker Shwe Mann.

While an NLD majority assures it of being able to elect the president, Ms Suu Kyi remains constitutionally barred from becoming president.

A clause inserted by the military before it transferred power to Thein Sein's quasi-civilian government in 2011 bars citizens with foreign spouses from holing the office.

Ms Suu Kyi has declared, however, that she will become the country's de facto leader, and will be "above the president" if her party forms the next government.

(Additional reporting by agencies)

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