Myanmar president congratulates NLD on election win

By Joshua Carroll

YANGON, Myanmar

President Thein Sein has congratulated the opposition National League for Democracy on its victory in the Myanmar election, promising a peaceful transfer of power once the result is confirmed by the country's Union Election Commission.

The NLD said in a statement Wednesday that presidential spokesperson Ye Htut had approached the party on behalf of Thein Sein.

"In accordance with the Union Election Commission’s election results announcement, I would like to congratulate you, the NLD, for leading the race for parliamentary seats," the statement quoted Ye Htut as saying.

"In honour of the citizens’ desire, the government will pursue a peaceful transfer in accordance with the legislated timeline."

With results from about 45 percent of all seats officially declared, Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD has urged supporters to avoid major celebrations -- even though it appears on track for a repeat of its 1990 landslide election victory.

In 1990, the NLD won 80 percent of the seats, only for the military to reject the landslide and impose a brutal crackdown.

In a statement released Wednesday, the NLD warned that too much enthusiasm could inadvertently lead to chaos.

"While there may be people who are happy with the election outcome, others could be displeased and make attempts to stir up discord," it said, urging supporters to remain alert and avoid all conflict.

Earlier Wednesday, Suu Kyi was reported as having written to opposition leaders requesting talks for "national reconciliation" -- a request greeted with a Facebook response from Ye Htut saying that the government had agreed to meet.

"After all the election tasks of Union Election Commission will be completed, we [both sides] will arrange for the talks [offered by the opposition leader]," he said.

The NLD has so far taken 134 of 149 seats declared of the 330 seats not allocated to the military in the lower house -- enough to suggest it is on course for a comfortable absolute majority that would secure its candidates for president and one of the two vice president positions.

The military bloc, which under the terms of the 2008 constitution maintains 25 percent, is assured of the other vice president position.

In February, the combined lower and upper houses of parliament will meet to vote for the new president -- a position from which NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi is barred as she has two foreign sons.

The Nobel peace laureate -- who spent 15 years under house arrest for opposing the former junta -- has said, however, that she will still lead the country and be "above" the president.

On Tuesday, she told the BBC she would make the big decisions while a colleague holds the post.