Aung San Suu Kyi's party approved for election

A vendor (R) sells posters of Myanmar's independence hero General Aung San and his daughter democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi (GETTY IMAGES)

Burma's government has approved opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party to register for a coming by-election, formally bringing the pro-democracy group back into the country's political arena, state-run media said.

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 today that the election commission accepted the party's application to register. The party says the registration will be formalised next week.

AP