Myanmar's President Thein Sein promises a 'smooth' transition

Myanmar president Thein Sein has promised a 'smooth' transition during a meeting with political parties held a week after the country's landmark election.

Myanmar president Thein Sein

Myanmar president Thein Sein Source: AAP

Myanmar democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party clinched majority of the seats in parliament to elect a president and form a government when incoming lawmakers convene next year.

Results from the country's election commission confirmed the thumping victory that Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) had claimed after the first free nationwide election in 25 years on Sunday.

"All duties would be transferred to the next government systematically according to the schedule. We will make sure it will be smooth and stable without having to worry about anything," Thein Sein told members of the political parties in Yangon on Sunday.

"I would like to call on the (political) parties which were not elected in the elections to be involved in the extra parliamentary politics. Then, democracy system could be active," he added.

Thein Sein, whose semi-civilian government took power when the junta stepped aside in 2011, and powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing, have said they would respect the result and hold reconciliation talks with Suu Kyi soon.

Such unambiguous endorsements of Suu Kyi's victory could smooth the lengthy post-election transition ahead of the last session of the old parliament, which reconvenes on Monday.

The NLD said they are seeking a goal for national reconciliation in the country.

"Our party policy which we have been holding till today is national reconciliation. I want to say that we will keep holding this policy in the future and in a peaceful way as well," said NLD spokesperson, Nyan Win.

Despite the landslide, Suu Kyi cannot become president herself under a constitution drafted by the military before the end of nearly 50 years of rule. She has said she will run the country anyway, through a proxy chosen by her party.


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Source: Reuters

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