Hundreds of people cheered as a giant screen outside National League for Democracy (NLD) party headquarters in Yangon announced a big by-election win for Suu Kyi, who was locked up by the junta for most of the past 22 years.The Nobel peace laureate took an estimated 82 percent of the vote in Kawhmu constituency, said NLD senior member Tin Oo, based on the party's own unofficial tally. Official results were expected within a week.The party also claimed it had won at least 10 of the other 45 seats at stake in the vote, which cannot threaten the army-backed ruling party's majority.
"We are so happy and waiting for the other results," said NLD senior member Mwint Mwint Win.
Observers believe Myanmar's new quasi-civilian government wants Suu Kyi to win a place in parliament to burnish its reform credentials and smooth the way for an easing of Western sanctions.
NLD along with sixteen opposition parties taking part in Sunday's election. Myanmar offers fraction of seats are up for grabs and the military-backed party will still dominate.Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, 66, was standing for a lower house seat in the Kawhmu Township constituency, outside Rangoon.
Today Sunday, she visited polling stations in Kawhmu before heading back to Rangoon.
Ms Aung San Suu Kyi had describe this year's election campaign as not ''genuinely free and fair" and warned that reforms were "not irreversible".She add, NLD did not regret taking part.
"Still we are determined to go forward because this is what our people want," she said.
A small number of representatives from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), along with the EU and US, have been invited to observe polling. European Union hinted that it could ease some sanctions if the vote went smoothly.
With the Kawhmu result close to a foregone conclusion, Ms
Aung San Suu Kyi .
Myanmar people have their eyes on the much greater prize, the general election of 2015.
"The army has changed and are now more lenient," said NLD official Myo Win. "So there is more of a possibility that Aung San Suu Kyi can become president in 2015."
Myanmar people have their eyes on the much greater prize, the general election of 2015.
"The army has changed and are now more lenient," said NLD official Myo Win. "So there is more of a possibility that Aung San Suu Kyi can become president in 2015."
"We hope the whole day can be run
in a peaceful way and we'll make an evaluation later on the basis of
all the polling sessions that we will be seeing," EU observer Ivo Belet
said.
NLD party says based on the voting in various constituencies it believes it has achieved victory in the following townships so far:
Kawhmu
Pale
Dagon Seikkan
Kyunsu
Hlegu
Mayangon
Mingalar Taung Nyunt
Pyin Oo Lwin
Pwint Phyu
Khayan Thongwa
Maha Aung Myay (Mandalay)
Kalaw
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