Myanmar election: Aung San Suu Kyi wins her seat

The NLD has already claimed a landslide victory over the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) but is openly frustrated by the glacial pace of the release of election results by the commission, even going so far as to accuse the UEC of intentionally delaying the results.

But as the scale of her victory becomes clear, the Nobel peace laureate has struck an increasingly defiant tone on the charter's attempt to limit her power.

The military has always been a highly politicised institution.

The past approaches of Suu Kyi indicate that she will pursue the latter course unless the Army itself comes forth to suggest that she should assume the Presidency. Her children hold British passports. Horsey says the military's control over such a crucial part of the administration will require Suu Kyi to collaborate with the military.

She said: "I make all the decisions because I'm the leader of the winning party".

But complicating any efforts to change the rules in the future, the military also has an effective veto over any proposed constitutional changes. The top vote-getter will be president, while the two runners-up will be vice presidents. But the scale of its losses and the NLD's victories is still emerging.

The landmark election is seen as a test of the powerful military's willingness to let the country continue along a path toward full democracy, after decades of military-dominated rule in Myanmar, which is also known as Burma.

If the NLD secures a two-thirds majority of the Parliamentary seats at stake - a likely scenario now - it would gain control over the executive posts under Myanmar's complicated parliamentary-presidency system.

A total of 333 representatives have been elected to parliament at three levels, according to the results announced by the UEC as of Tuesday night.

The European Union mission observing the elections said the polls were well run, awith monitoring teams around the country reporting an overwhelmingly positive message about the conduct of the contest. Under the junta-crafted constitution, a quarter of the seats in both chambers are unelected and reserved for the armed forces.

In the bicameral national parliament, its 166-seat bloc gives it an effective veto over changes to the country's 2008 constitution that require a "supermajority" of 75%.

Questions have come up over how free and fair Sunday's (November 8) election will turn out to be. With numerous published results coming from areas in which Suu Kyi was supposed to do well.

Last weekend's vote was Myanmar's first openly contested general election for 25 years. The military establishment has not formally conceded defeat but it has acknowledged the massive success of Suu Kyi's party, and ensured that it will respect the final outcome of election results. The new government's legitimacy will heavily depend on its commitment to human rights, which have been central to many peoples' hopes for Myanmar's reform process. "It shouldn't be like that", he told reporters after a party meeting at Suu Kyi's house.

Cameron said the sight of thousands lined up to vote during Sunday's election, a few for the first time in their lives, was "a moving moment demonstrating the remarkable progress Burma has made in recent years".

The parliament will elect a president by March next year.

The announcement of the results of the Myanmar elections is being done slowly. Tim Hume and Manny Maung also contributed.

Shwe Mann, who said in an online statement he would meet Suu Kyi, was the head of the ruling USDP until August, when he was relieved of his position and escorted from his offices by security guards, possibly over his moves to ally with Suu Kyi.