Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party has won the first seats in what is expected to be a landslide victory in Sunday’s parliamentary elections.
Election officials announced Monday that the National League for Democracy had won 12 lower house seats in the main city of Yangon. The NLD later claimed to have taken 44 of 45 lower house seats in Yangon,
although that figure wasn’t immediately confirmed by election officials.
Earlier Monday, Aung San Suu Kyi expressed confidence her party would win the historic vote in a speech to supporters outside NLD headquarters in Yangon, but she did not claim outright victory with the votes still
being counted.
“Until this time the election results have not been declared,” she said. “I think everyone already knows or has guessed what the election result is.”
Aung San Suu Kyi also urged her followers not to provoke the candidates who did not win.
NLD spokesman Win Htein told reporters the party has won 70 percent of the vote nationwide, based on unofficial tallies.
