Myanmar Ruling Party Predicts It Has Won New Five-Year Mandate

Myanmar’s ruling National League for Democracy won enough parliamentary seats in Sunday’s general elections to allow leader Aung San Suu Kyi to form a new government, a party spokesman said Monday as NLD supporters staged celebrations in major cities. A resurgence of COVID-19 since mid-August, concerns about security, and anger at the cancellation of voting in areas under conflict, did not appear to deter the nation’s 37.5 million eligible voters from turning out to choose national and regional lawmakers Sunday.

Voting results are not expected until midweek, but NLD supporters staged colorful celebrations in the largest city Yangon and other ruling party strongholds in the central parts of the country of 54 million people. “As far as I can estimate, we have won enough seats in both houses of the Union parliament to form a government,” NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told RFA in an exclusive interview.

Observers said Sunday’s vote, only the second democratic election in Myanmar since the restoration of civilian rule after five decades of military dictatorship, went smoothly despite concerns about security, coronavirus crowds, and the suspension of voting in conflict zones.

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