Aung San Suu Kyi party gets OK to register in Myanmar

Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi (AP)

Myanmar's government has approved opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party to register for a coming by-election, state media said Tuesday, formally returning the pro-democracy group to the political arena.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy decided last month to rejoin politics in the military-dominated country after recent reforms by the nominally civilian administration that took power this year.

The party boycotted last year's general elections because of restrictive rules that, among other things, prevented Suu Kyi from being a candidate. The government has since lifted many of those restrictions.

The New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported Tuesday that the election commission accepted the party's application to register. The party says the registration will be formalized next week.

A date for the elections has not been set.

AP