Myanmar's ruling party wins sweeping victory in general elections

发布日期:2020-11-16 10:56:11

Myanmar's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a sweeping victory in the country's latest general elections, grabbing majority of seats in both houses of the Union Parliament, showed the election results announced by the Union Election Commission (UEC) on Saturday.

In the elections which were held on Nov. 8, 5,639 candidates vied for 1,117 parliamentary seats -- 315 seats in the House of Representatives (lower house), 161 seats in the House of Nationalities (upper house), 612 seats in the Regional or State Parliaments and 29 ethnic minority seats in the Regional or State Parliaments.

After the latest voting counts, the NLD party, which fielded 1,106 candidates in the elections, secured 396 seats in the Union Parliament -- 258 seats in the lower house and 138 in the upper house, passing the threshold to form a new government.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) shared 33 seats and the remaining 47 seats were won by the other political parties in the two houses.

The ruling party also won 501 seats in the Regional or State Parliaments and 20 ethnic minority seats.

Among the current state leaders, President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi won seats in the lower house while Vice President Henry Van Thio was elected to the upper house of the next parliament.

So far, representatives have been elected for 1,113 seats for all levels of the parliament and four ethnic minority seats in the Regional or State Parliaments have yet to be announced by the election commission.

The 2020 multiparty general elections were the third of its kind held under the terms of the country's 2008 constitution.

The general elections, which are held every five years, are to produce members of a new parliament which will elect president and two vice presidents and form a new government.

The new parliament's first regular session is expected to be held within 90 days after the commencement of the general elections.

The ruling NLD party won an absolute majority of parliamentary seats in the last general elections on Nov. 8, 2015, and has been running the government since 2016.