NLD wins right to independently form new gov't

With the full tally of votes still being counted, the electoral commission announced on Friday that the National League for Democracy (NLD) had already won more than the 329-seats needed for a majority in Burma's two-house parliament. The 329 figure represents a majority in the 664-member parliament because voting was not held in seven constituencies due to unrest.

According to the updated election result, the NLD has so far taken a total of 759 seats at the three levels of the parliament, winning 238 seats in the House of Representatives (Lower House) out of 298 elected, 110 in the House of Nationalities (Upper House) out of 133 elected, and 401 in the Region or State Parliament out of 522 elected.

Minority parties won a handful of further seats.the incumbent military-backed Union Solidarity and Development party (USDP) has taken just 40 seats. Under Burma's constitution, the military automatically receives 25 percent of the seats in each chamber.

The United States was quick to offer its congratulations to Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, but China avoided doing so yesterday following her party's landslide victory, which has the potential to strain ties with Beijing.

Party executives have been sorting out transition plans, making arrangements to meet soon with President Thein Sein, House Speaker Shwe Mann, and the real power behind the government, army commander Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.

"The president commended her for her tireless efforts and sacrifice over so many years to promote a more inclusive, peaceful and democratic Burma", the White House said in a statement, using the former name for the Asian country.

"The Army's support to the conduct of credible and transparent elections, as well as its acceptance of the results, have also been uniquely important", Dujarric said.

Aung San Suu Kyi is prevented from becoming the country's president by the constitution because her children are foreign nationals.

Suu Kyi's trip to the top, or near-top, of her country's government, has brought her to the point where she and her party must now deliver on promises made.

Suu Kyi has declared, however, that she will become the country's de facto leader, acting "above the president" if her party forms the next government, and that the new president will be a figurehead.

But the new parliament will not sit until early next year, and the new president likely won't be inaugurated until March.

In a surprise move after mass protests in 1988 against their economically disastrous regime, the military called multi-party general elections.

The military of Burma, who have governed Burma since 1962, did not let her political party, the National League for Democracy join the government.

The big majority affords Suu Kyi, 70, leverage in the political wrangling ahead with a military establishment that has been chastened at the polls but retains sweeping powers. The military could still get cold feet and back away from the loss of its power and privilege, even if much of it is safeguarded. Sein was a member of the military junta that had ruled Myanmar for decades; however, as president he led many reforms, including freeing prisoners, forging peace deals and relaxing censorship of the media.