Burma's Elections Should Be Greeted with a Guarded Optimism

River Gaines

05:26 | Monday, Nov 16, 2015

The US State Department's statement pointed out that there were several worrying "structural and systemic impediments to the realization of full democratic and civilian government, including the reservation of a large number of unelected seats for the military; the disfranchisement of groups of people who voted in previous elections, including the Rohingya; and the disqualification of candidates based on arbitrary application of citizenship and residency requirements".

Myanmar's general election was credible and transparent, and the process was better than expected, head of an EU Election Observation Mission said on Tuesday.

Nobel Laureate Suu Kyi was barred from the presidency by the army-scripted constitution.

Russel said it was too early to evaluate the overall conduct of Sunday's voting or say whether the election could lead to a lifting of remaining US sanctions.

The US officials said the president and military leadership of Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, had publicly reaffirmed that they would accept the election results.

"For the United States and the global community to provide the kind of support to Burma that its people need and its leaders want, the political process there governing the transition from the current administration to a future administration is going to have to be credible", Russel said.

He added that the more progress there is on political reforms, the "lower the hurdles" for the US government to adjust its policies.

Many people in the streets of Yangon were sitting on sidewalks, in rickshaws or on front porches reading morning newspapers splashed with Aung San Suu Kyi's picture, as the nation awaited final confirmation of her election victory.

The United States is keen to expand relations with Myanmar as part of an effort to counteract China's rise in Asia and take advantage of the opening of one of the world's last "frontier markets", growing but less developed emerging economies.

In the Karen State township of Kawkareik, hundreds of voters were denied a vote.

Of the Muslim population, she said "We will protect them", adding that those who inflame hatred should face prosecution.

"They are going to have to make sure people can see the light at the end of the tunnel", he said. "The attention of the U.S. government is going to be spot-on".

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