DTN News - MYANMAR NEWS: Suu Kyi's Party Wins 43 Seats In Myanmar Parliament
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Hla Hla Htay - AFP
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 3, 2012: Democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi's party won almost all the seats it contested in Myanmar elections, becoming the main opposition force in the national parliament, official results showed Tuesday.
The veteran dissident's National League for Democracy stormed to victory in 43 of the 44 constituencies where it fielded candidates in Sunday's polls, according to an election commission announcement on state television.
The landslide win in the by-elections gave Suu Kyi her first-ever seat in parliament, although it will not threaten the comfortable majority of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).
The Nobel laureate said in her victory speech on Monday that she hoped the vote would mark a "new era" for the nation after decades of repressive junta rule, but appealed for political unity and urged her supporters not to gloat.
The NLD won 37 seats in the 440-seat lower house, along with four in the upper house and two in the regional chambers, the results showed.
One quarter of the seats are reserved for unelected military officials.
The NLD lost one seat in eastern Shan state to the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, which has strong support among ethnic minorities.
The USDP took just one seat, in a constituency in northwest Sagaing where the NLD candidate was disqualified from standing.
Suu Kyi's election to political office marks the latest sweeping change in the country formerly known as Burma after decades of outright military rule ended last year.
Myanmar's quasi-civilian government has surprised even its critics over the past year with a string of reforms such as releasing hundreds of political prisoners and welcoming the opposition back into mainstream politics.
President Thein Sein hailed the polls as a success.
"The election was held successfully," the former general said in brief remarks to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with fellow leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Phnom Penh.
Observers say the regime needs Suu Kyi in parliament to bolster the legitimacy of its political system and spur an easing of Western sanctions.
The European Union opened a debate Tuesday on how fast to lift sanctions, with some EU states pushing for a "gradual, step-by-step" approach to ensure the regime continues pursuing reforms following the landmark vote.
The ASEAN leaders called for all Western sanctions against Myanmar to be lifted in light of the vote.
"The lifting of sanctions would contribute positively to the democratic process and especially economic development of Myanmar," a top Cambodian official told reporters, quoting leaders inside the meeting room.
At the last ASEAN summit in November, Myanmar was rewarded for its reforms by being promised the bloc's chairmanship in 2014. It is also eager to win greater foreign investment with the prospect of sanctions being lifted.
Experts expect the United States and Europe to ease some -- but not all -- sanctions against the regime to bolster the reformers while retaining some leverage to encourage further change.
Unlike in the 2010 general elections, the Myanmar government allowed foreign observers and journalists to witness Sunday's polls, which were to replace lawmakers who gave up their seats to join the government.
The 2010 vote, won by the military's political proxies, was plagued by complaints of cheating and the exclusion of Suu Kyi, who was released from seven straight years of house arrest shortly afterwards.
The NLD swept to a landslide election victory in 1990, when Suu Kyi was in detention, but the junta never recognised the result.
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Los Angeles Times - 18 minutes ago
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Indian Express - 1 hour ago
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msnbc.com (blog) - 1 hour ago
The headquarters of Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy political party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Yangoon, Myanmar was teeming with people coming and going on Tuesday. By Ian Williams, NBC News YANGON, Myanmar – A dilapidated three-story ...
Bangkok Post - 1 hour ago
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Firstpost - 1 hour ago
by FP Staff 1 min ago PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – Myanmar President Thein Sein said on Tuesday that landmark weekend by-elections swept by Aung San Suu Kyi's party were carried out successfully, signalling acceptance of a result that will boost the ...
Sky News Australia - 1 hour ago
Praises for new Burma leader's success Updated: 04:41, Wednesday April 4, 2012 Burma's president says by-elections won by democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and her party were successful, issuing the first government endorsement of the historic polls.
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Associated Press of Pakistan - 4 hours ago
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Taipei Times - 4 hours ago
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TIME - 4 hours ago
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The Hindu - 6 hours ago
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The Atlantic - 6 hours ago
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*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Hla Hla Htay - AFP*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News *This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com ©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Dawn - Pakistan, Telegraph U.K., Google News & DTN News Images
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