It’s time for celebration in Myanmar. Votes are being counted after the country held its first free general election in 25 years and early results show that Aung San Suu Kyi’s party is headed for a landslide victory. The world is welcoming the election and the results, and if everything goes well, Myanmar will start a new era in its history, an era which will be marked by democracy and all its attendant benefits.
Election authorities have so far announced only a small fraction of the results, but the National League for Democracy led by the democracy icon Suu Kyi has bagged the lion’s share of the seats, boosting enthusiasm among workers all over the country. It could take days for the full results to be officially announced, but the NLD has already given a bullish prediction for its first election in 25 years. Party spokesman Win Htein said unofficial tallies showed the opposition “on track to win more than 70 percent of seats around the country”. Sunday’s elections saw millions line up to cast their ballots in a dramatic leap towards democracy in the Southeast Asian nation.
The White House and several countries yesterday congratulated the people of Myanmar following the election, but cautioned that additional work was needed to realise the dream of an effective democracy in the country. The world will be watching whether the transition from the current government to the future administration is smooth and credible. The senior leadership of the military had reaffirmed this week their commitment to abide by the results of the election. It’s a welcome and magnanimous gesture, but after 50 years of military dictatorship, a few might still doubt the long-term commitment of the military to democracy. The military will have to keep its hands off the new government and give it complete freedom to fulfill its promises to the people.
While Myanmarese are looking forward to a period of all-round progress and freedom, the world will expect Suu Kyi to address some of the thorny issues that has grabbed international headlines like the harassment of Rohingyas in Myanmar. It’s not an easy task, but Suu Kyi has the mandate, popularity and credibility to address this issue. World leaders, especially US and Europe, must put pressure on her to protect the lives of all sections of people and ensure equality and freedom.
Suu Kyi will also have to implement economic reforms to pull the country out of its current stagnation. The greater the process of reform moves, the more credible and respectable the political process will be and will help guarantee the support of the international community and lower the hurdles towards deeper economic cooperation•
It’s time for celebration in Myanmar. Votes are being counted after the country held its first free general election in 25 years and early results show that Aung San Suu Kyi’s party is headed for a landslide victory. The world is welcoming the election and the results, and if everything goes well, Myanmar will start a new era in its history, an era which will be marked by democracy and all its attendant benefits.
Election authorities have so far announced only a small fraction of the results, but the National League for Democracy led by the democracy icon Suu Kyi has bagged the lion’s share of the seats, boosting enthusiasm among workers all over the country. It could take days for the full results to be officially announced, but the NLD has already given a bullish prediction for its first election in 25 years. Party spokesman Win Htein said unofficial tallies showed the opposition “on track to win more than 70 percent of seats around the country”. Sunday’s elections saw millions line up to cast their ballots in a dramatic leap towards democracy in the Southeast Asian nation.
The White House and several countries yesterday congratulated the people of Myanmar following the election, but cautioned that additional work was needed to realise the dream of an effective democracy in the country. The world will be watching whether the transition from the current government to the future administration is smooth and credible. The senior leadership of the military had reaffirmed this week their commitment to abide by the results of the election. It’s a welcome and magnanimous gesture, but after 50 years of military dictatorship, a few might still doubt the long-term commitment of the military to democracy. The military will have to keep its hands off the new government and give it complete freedom to fulfill its promises to the people.
While Myanmarese are looking forward to a period of all-round progress and freedom, the world will expect Suu Kyi to address some of the thorny issues that has grabbed international headlines like the harassment of Rohingyas in Myanmar. It’s not an easy task, but Suu Kyi has the mandate, popularity and credibility to address this issue. World leaders, especially US and Europe, must put pressure on her to protect the lives of all sections of people and ensure equality and freedom.
Suu Kyi will also have to implement economic reforms to pull the country out of its current stagnation. The greater the process of reform moves, the more credible and respectable the political process will be and will help guarantee the support of the international community and lower the hurdles towards deeper economic cooperation•
