NLD coasting to victory and 2nd term for ASSK as votes counted

The National League for Democracy says it has already won enough seats to form the next government while the tally from yesterday’s election is still being counted.

Though the Union Election Commission has yet to announce the results, Myo Nyunt, a member of the party’s executive committee this morning said it was on track to winning more than enough seats.

“We estimate it will definitely exceed 322 seats,” he said. 

Turnout appeared high yesterday for what amounts to the second free election, five years after the first in decades was staged, Voters began queuing before 5am, when polls opened.

About a dozen people were lined up at noon outside a polling station in Sanchaung township without any effort to social-distance. Voters were given N95 masks and instructed to wash their hands before being let in to receive their ballots. A few officers and poll workers monitored three rooms where people completed their ballots. Those from ethnic minority groups voted in additional races.

Images from other neighborhoods inside the Yangon Division, including Kawhmu, showed orderly lines practicing social separation due to the pandemic. 

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The National League for Democracy, or NLD, is headed toward a landslide win, according to unofficial early returns. As of 2pm on Monday, it appeared to have won 306 seats so far with 3.7 million votes.

In 2015, it received 12.8 million votes of the 22.4 million cast.

USDP, the military-aligned opposition party, was in a distant second place with 734,287 votes so far but looked to have picked up two constituencies.

Election results are not final until confirmed by the commission. The first party to secure 322 seats in the assembly, called the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, will be able to lead the government.

Myo Nyunt said that the party had prevailed in all constituencies in the Ayeyarwady and Magway divisions, and in the Rangoon Division, it won all constituencies but for the Coco Islands. He said they lost two seats in Chin State and three in Mon State, including Ye Township.