Asia-Pacific

Xinhua: Myanmar election helps govt transition

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-11-10 06:41

YANGON -- People are awaiting for the release of more results of the multi-party general election of Myanmar, which was held on Sunday, whereas different information indicated that Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), led by current Prime Minister U Thein Sein, has obtained over 50 percent of the votes for different levels of parliamentary election, securing the winning for the party.

Analysts see that the results contribute to the transition of government from the military to the civilian.

Currently, several political parties and independent candidates contesting in the election are making appeal to the union election commission on election issue.

Meanwhile, the United States and some western countries also made criticism over the just-ended Myanmar election.

Related readings:  China welcomes Myanmar's smooth general election  Myanmar voting goes well despite boycott efforts  Myanmar announces some elected parliamentary representatives  Multi-party general election begins in Myanmar

Apparently, the Myanmar military government and the USDA are facing internal and external pressure.

The status raised concern over the smooth transition of the government and the trend of the situation and policy.

The election was the first in two decades, representing the 5th step of the military's seven-step roadmap to its democracy introduced in 2003, which is also undoubtedly an important move to realize the change.

A total of over 3,000 parliamentary candidates from 37 political parties, including 82 independents, took part in the competition across the country's seven regions and seven ethnic states for over 1,000 parliamentary seats made up of the house of representatives, house of nationalities and region or state parliament.

With firm election result, analysts has shifted their attention to the matter of smooth transition of government and the influence over the political situation and the trend of policy after the change.

It can be said that the change came out of the military's own choice conforms to people's aspiration and the international trend and fundamental condition that speeds up the country's national economic and social development.

Viewed from another angle, the election this time ran smoothly with the USDP winning the most number of votes which in fact corner-stoned the change of the government. It also shows that the military government can steer the self-change of government towards the direction it desires.

There is a point that is not negligible, that is the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Constitution-2008 has set a legal basis for the change of government, stipulating that the president is the head of state and also the head of the government and the commander-in-chief is the supreme commander of all armed forces.

The constitution also prescribes that the military will continue to play the leading role in national politics, having non- elected parliamentary seats nominated by the commander-in-chief which account for 25 percent of the total. The constitution also sets that politically it pursues a multi-party system and economically it adopts a market-oriented economic system and diplomatically it practices an independent, active and non-aligned foreign policy.

Despite the end of the election, Myanmar still meet many challenges.  But there is one point that can be assured, that is Myanmar society is heading for pluralism and democratization with the inevitable emergence of complicated phenomena of joint existence of various political forces dominated by the main political force.