Myanmar: NLD wins 77.3% of votes in election
Myanmar's opposition party National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won 880 out of a total 1,139 parliamentary seats in the election, equivalent to 77.3% of votes, announced the country’s Union Election Commission (UEC) on November 16.
Of the figure, 254 are in the House of Representatives (Lower House), 135 in the House of Nationalities (Upper House), 474 in the Region or State Parliament, and 17 ethnic representatives to the Region or State Parliament.
Gaining majority in both Houses with 389 seats, the NLD has the right to set up an independent government under the country’s constitution.
Meanwhile, the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party took 115 seats at the three levels or 10% of total votes, including 29 in the House of Representatives, 12 in the House of Nationalities, 72 in the Region or State Parliament, and two ethnic representatives to the Region or State Parliament.
The remaining parliamentary seats go to ethnic parties and five independent runners.
As planned, the UEC will announce the remaining seven seats in the three levels of parliaments and ethnic representatives to the Region or State Parliament before November 20. The commission has so far unveiled a total of 1,139 parliamentarians elect.
The first meeting of the new parliament will convene in January 2016. The presidential election is scheduled for February and a new government will be formed one month later.
The November 8, 2015 historical election only elected 75% of seats at each level of parliament. Under the country’s constitution, adopted through the 2008 referendum, 25% of seats in the parliament are reserved for army representatives.