Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi-led NLD to Form New Burmese Government after Decades of Military Rule

By Jenn Loro - 02 Feb '16 08:08AM

Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League of Democracy (NLD) has swept Myanmar's parliamentary elections back in November last year winning an overwhelming 80% of the coveted seats. The historic victory will enable the new ruling party to form the next democratically government- the first in the Myanmar's modern political history since the military junta seized power in 1962.

"This is Myanmar's first parliament in years that was chosen by the people. We have the majority. We have the duty to fulfil our manifesto and change the lives of the people in this country," said Pyon Cho, a former anti-junta activist who is now a member of the parliament as quoted saying by The Star.

Despite hopeful and promising signs of peaceful democratic transition, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi and her allies remain cautious of any possible military-led intervention. While NLD is poised to dominate the political transition, the junta-drafted 2008 Constitution guarantees a quarter of parliamentary seats and control of key ministries to the military.

But NLD's long years of struggle and wariness do not seem to dampen the optimism of some party activists who experienced the excesses of military crackdown on then political opposition.

"We have been struggling for democracy since 1988. We have suffered very much but now we see the results and the fruits of our suffering. It is a beautiful beginning," remarked U Win Htein, a spokesman for NLD as mentioned in a report by The Guardian.

What will be Aung Suu Kyi's new political role?

The incumbent Burmese President Thein Sein is due to hand over power to a president-elect chosen by the parliament. However, the 2008 Constitution bars Suu Kyi for a shot at presidency because her children are British citizens- any Burmese whose children hold foreign citizenship are not eligible for key positions in the government.

But according to a BBC report, the Burmese democratic icon hinted that she'll take control saying she'll be "above the president". However, it remains to be seen how being "above the president" plays out in Burma's still military-dominated political system.