海角大神

The military rulers of Myanmar yesterday officially ceded the national elections to the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, and today the nation鈥檚 Army chief congratulated the Nobel Prize winner and promised 鈥渃ooperation鈥� in forming a new government, according to Agence France-Presse.

On Thursday Aung San Suu Kyi鈥檚 National League for Democracy (NLD) appeared only 38 seats away from claiming a stunning majority in both houses of parliament. Votes were still being counted after an election landslide of more than 80 percent, says the Guardian. She sent letters to government leaders requesting talks on transition from quasi-military rule.聽

The election victory in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is the latest turn in a quarter-century struggle between authoritarian forces of the military junta and a civic 鈥減eople's鈥� movement bent on more democracy and freedom. As the scope of the victory is becoming clearer, Aung San Suu Kyi is calling for national reconciliation talks.

鈥淲elcoming the New Guard,鈥� is the聽headline today in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar聽newspaper.

US President Barack Obama called President Thein Sein and congratulated him on a free and fair election. Chinese foreign ministry spokesmen lauded a smooth election and vowed to work with the winners.

Since Sunday, there has been deep popular suspicion about whether the military will actually cede power, as 海角大神 reported.

NLD officials continued to voice such concerns today. But as the formal trappings of victory begin to be further established, analysts are talking about what amounts to a very different rule and government.

The New York Times today notes that:

The 2008 Constitution established criteria that bar Aung San Suu Kyi from being president. But in recent days, the woman known as both "The Lady" and "Maa Suu" has said that the leader of the winning party 鈥� in this case, Aung San Suu Kyi 鈥� will hold the main power.聽

So far it is Myanmar鈥檚 Muslim minority that has been most seriously bypassed by the new electoral franchise, a fact singled out by US officials the day after the election.

The Wall Street Journal today writes that, 鈥淢uslims are turning out to be among the biggest losers in Myanmar鈥檚 historic elections, with many not allowed to vote and no Muslim representation in parliament.鈥�

The Journal continues:

The Muslims have said, however, that they will appeal to the new government formed by Aung San Suu Kyi for more representation.

One of the surprises of the vote is that the main body of Buddhist monks appears to have outflanked a hardline set of Buddhist nationalist monks.

A 海角大神 Science Monitor editorial pointed out that only two days after the elections, Myanmar was voted the world's "most generous nation," since nine of 10 people there give to charities. This giving spirit is described as owing the nation's Buddhist traditions, and it was suggested that spirit helped in the long struggle leading to this week's people's mandate.聽