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Burma celebrates Aung San Suu Kyi's apparent landslide election victory Burma celebrates Aung San Suu Kyi's apparent landslide election victory
(40 minutes later)
The streets of Rangoon echoed with cheers on Sundayafter unofficial results indicated Aung San Suu Kyi had won a parliamentary seat in a landmark election that could see the Nobel laureate and former political prisoner take public office for the first time. The streets of Rangoon echoed with cheers on Sunday after unofficial results indicated Aung San Suu Kyi had won a parliamentary seat in a landmark election that could see the Nobel laureate and former political prisoner take public office for the first time.
"We won! We won!" chanted her supporters as they crowded the pavement in their thousands outside of her party's headquarters. Traffic in the street was restricted to a thin line snaking haphazardly through the crowd, where young and old in red – the colour of Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy – sang along to a Johnny Cash-inspired anthem calling for "the return of Mother Suu". Those who weren't dancing swayed back and forth to watch numbers flash on a digital signboard that measured the NLD's victories in byelections around the country, where the party was contesting 44 of 45 open seats in Burma's 664-seat parliament. "We won! We won!" chanted her supporters as they crowded the pavement in their thousands outside her party's headquarters. Traffic was restricted to a thin line snaking haphazardly through the crowd, where young and old in red – the colour of Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) – sang along to a Johnny Cash-inspired anthem calling for "the return of Mother Suu".
Suu Kyi's victory, which will not be officially confirmed for another week, could mark the moment that this poverty-stricken nation, where a military junta has ruled almost exclusively for the past 50 years, takes its first genuine steps towards democracy. Those who were not dancing swayed back and forth to watch numbers flash on a digital signboard that measured the NLD's victories in byelections around the country, where the party was contesting 44 of 45 open seats in Burma's 664-seat parliament.
The NLD was competing in its first elections since 1990, after which Suu Kyi was held under house arrest for most of the next 20 years, and the poll was notable for its unprecedented access for foreign journalists and independent observers. Aung San Suu Kyi's victory, which will not be officially confirmed for another week, could mark the moment that this poverty-stricken nation, where a military junta has ruled almost exclusively for the past 50 years, takes its first genuine steps towards democracy.
According to unofficial party figures, Suu Kyi was leading the polls against her rival, former military doctor U Soe Min of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), with 65% of the vote in 82 of her Kawhmu constituency's 129 polling stations. Local observers, however, claimed on Sunday evening that she had won 90% of the vote, with the NLD said to have won a minimum of 40 of the 44 seats it contested. The NLD was competing in its first elections since 1990, after which Aung San Suu Kyi was held under house arrest for most of the next 20 years, and the poll was notable for its unprecedented access for foreign journalists and independent observers.
Despite being the face of democracy in her native country, this would be the first time that Daw [Auntie] Suu, as she is known here, would hold public office. According to unofficial party figures, Aung San Suu Kyi was leading the polls against her rival, former military doctor U Soe Min of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, with 65% of the vote in 82 of her Kawhmu constituency's 129 polling stations. Local observers, however, claimed on Sunday evening that she had won 90% of the vote, with the NLD said to have won a minimum of 40 of the 44 seats it contested.
This election was touted as the make-or-break moment in Burma's history and a crucial test of the reforms initiated by president Thein Sein. Many are now hoping for a final end to the years of sanctions that have crippled both the nation's economy and its population, one third of whom live on less than 30p a day. Despite being the face of democracy in her native country, this would be the first time that Daw [Auntie] Suu, as she is known here, has held public office.
Despite complaining of "rampant irregularities" in the build up to Sunday's vote – among them harassment of NLD candidates, and deceased people said to be on the electoral roll – Suu Kyi said she did "not at all regret" taking part in the elections and that they marked "a foundation stone for the future of democracy in Burma". This election was touted as the make-or-break moment in Burma's history and a crucial test of the reforms initiated by President Thein Sein. Many are now hoping for a final end to the years of sanctions that have crippled the nation's economy and its population, one third of whom live on less than 30p a day.
Despite complaining of "rampant irregularities" in the build-up to Sunday's vote – among them harassment of NLD candidates, and deceased people said to be on the electoral roll – Aung San Suu Kyi said she did "not at all regret" taking part in the elections and that they marked "a foundation stone for the future of democracy in Burma".