The NLD Wins Big in Myanmar

Myanmar held its first competitive elections in 25 years and, to the surprise of no one, the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) emerged as the big winner of these elections.  For the NLD and its iconic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, this victory was the culmination of a long struggle to gain power in the wake of the 1990 parliamentary elections that were won convincingly by the NLD but were later annulled by the country’s military junta that has ruled the country ever since.  With the ascension of the NLD to power, some changes are undoubtedly in store for Myanmar, although the scale and the scope of these changes may be less than expected given the fact that the country’s armed forces retain a great deal of power and influence. 

While the final results from these elections are not expected for a few days, it is clear that the NLD has won a comprehensive victory.  In order to secure a majority of the seats in Myanmar’s parliament, the NLD had to win at least two-thirds of the seats being contested in these elections, due to the fact that 25% of the seats in the parliament are reserved for the armed forces.  As it stands, the NLD is set to win much more this, with early results showing that the NLD has won more than 90% of the popular vote.  Ms. Suu Kyi has indicated that she believes that the NLD has won no less than 75% of the seats in the parliament.  Regardless of the final result, it is clear that the NLD’s popularity has not waned during the long rule of the country’s armed forces and the party is now in a position to finally take power in Myanmar, as the armed forces’ own political party, the Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP) appears to have won just 5% of the popular vote.

The NLD now faces the challenge that has bedeviled so many long-running opposition parties, that of going from the political opposition to the government.  Historically, many parties that thrived as critics of un-elected governments have struggled to transition into parties in power, often exhibiting many of the characteristics of the governments that they fought so hard to replace.  For the NLD, its first challenge will be to form a new government as the party’s long-time dominant figure, Aung San Suu Kyi, is constitutionally barred from becoming president.  Already, Ms. Suu Kyi has announced that she will continue to make all of the decisions for the party, suggesting that she will appoint a figurehead as president.  However, this bodes ill for the unity of the party, is it could break into various factions now that the military now longer is holding back the party from power.  For Myanmar’s long-term future, it is imperative that a stable government is formed, enabling the country to tackle the massive economic and internal problems that beset one of Asia’s poorest countries.