In the current elections, around 90 parties competed for seats in the national and regional parliaments whereas in 2010, only around 40 did, minus major parties like the National League for Democracy (NLD) which won a majority in 1990 but was not allowed by the military to form the government.
EU parliament member Ana Gomes said she was “impressed by the calm and peaceful atmosphere” throughout the balloting from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We welcome the fact that a high number of voters, especially young people, turn out to vote,” Gomes added.
The non-government Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) said that through Sunday’s polls, the people of Myanmar “have sent the world a message that (they) are ready and willing to work towards a more democratic future.”
“Democratization is a process and the 2015 elections will provide a solid foundation for that process,” the ANFREL said in a statement on Tuesday.
An estimated 80 percent of some 30 million voters trooped to more than 40,000 polling stations on Nov. 8 in the country’s first election in 25 years under increased democratic circumstances.
Up for grabs were 498 of 664 seats in the bicameral national legislature, 644 of 860 seats in regional and state parliaments, and 29 Ethnic Affairs Ministers in states and regions with substantial ethnic minorities.
No incident of violence was reported during the day of the elections.
ANFREL lauded the Union Election Commission (UEC) “for its management of the election in what was admittedly an often difficult environment.”
“The efforts of polling station staff to create an environment conducive to free and fair election is worth noting. Given the decades since the last competitive national elections, the UEC generally performed admirably to manage the process,” ANFREL said.
“While important parts of the election process remain, the pre-election and Election Day give Myanmar a good chance for credible elections and a more democratic future,” said ANFREL chair and head of mission Damaso Magbual, a member of the council of the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel).
Three days after the elections, tension grips the country as people still awaited the full official results from the UEC. But this has eased Wednesday after the military has congratulated the NLD for leading the electoral race.
The statement from the military, called Tatmadaw, was posted on the official Facebook account of its media portal, Myawady.
As of 11 p.m. Wednesday, 648 of 1,171 seats contested throughout the country were officially declared by the UEC. Of these, 223 were for Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House) seats, 83 for Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House), and 342 for state and regional parliaments.
A rundown of the official results compiled by Yangon-based Myanmar Times showed the NLD capturing most of the seats: 179 in the Lower House, 77 in the Upper House, and 280 in the state and regional parliaments.
Its main rival, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), had a poor showing, so far.[]
It only captured 17 seats in the Lower House, four in the Upper House, and 30 in state and regional parliaments.
Magbual said the UEC must be given the benefit of the doubt at this time given that it has to work with a challenging communications infrastructure.
But Magbual counselled the UEC to make public the results as soon as it can or explain why these are not yet available to dispel suspicions of manipulations.
“By immediately posting all original results at sub-commission offices and online, and by releasing detailed polling station-level lists of results, the UEC can avoid unnecessary suspicion or distrust in the counting process,” Magbual stressed.[]
