This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-34805806
The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Myanmar election: Suu Kyi's NLD wins landslide victory | |
(35 minutes later) | |
The National League for Democracy has won a landslide victory in Myanmar's historic election, say vote officials. | |
With more than 80% of seats declared, Aung San Suu Kyi's party has more than the two-thirds it needs to control parliament and choose the president, ending decades of military-backed rule. | |
But a quarter of seats were given uncontested to the military, meaning it remains hugely influential. | |
Under the constitution Ms Suu Kyi cannot become president herself. | |
It specifically bars anyone whose children were born foreign nationals from holding the job. Both her sons were born British. | It specifically bars anyone whose children were born foreign nationals from holding the job. Both her sons were born British. |
But Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who spent decades under military-imposed house arrest, has insisted she would lead the country anyway if her party won. | But Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who spent decades under military-imposed house arrest, has insisted she would lead the country anyway if her party won. |
Military promises | |
Sunday's election was the first openly contested poll in Myanmar - also known as Burma - in 25 years. | |
The election commission has slowly been releasing figures, and by early on Friday morning the NLD needed only two more votes to reach the threshold required to give it a majority in both houses of parliament. | |
Then in a midday announcement, vote officials said the NLD had taken 348 of the 664 seats in the two houses of parliament. | |
Final results are not expected to come in for several days, while the process of choosing a new president will not begin until January, when parliament reconvenes. | |
Current President Thein Sein and the head of the military have already said they would respect the outcome of the election and work with the new government. | |
About 30 million people were eligible to vote in the election, and turnout was estimated at about 80%. | |
It was widely seen as a fair vote though there were reports of irregularities, and hundreds of thousands of people - including the Muslim Rohingya minority, who are not recognised as citizens - were denied voting rights. | It was widely seen as a fair vote though there were reports of irregularities, and hundreds of thousands of people - including the Muslim Rohingya minority, who are not recognised as citizens - were denied voting rights. |
The ruling military-backed Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP) - which won the last, widely criticised election five years ago - has so far gained about 5% of seats contested. | The ruling military-backed Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP) - which won the last, widely criticised election five years ago - has so far gained about 5% of seats contested. |