Opposition party claims landslide victory in Burma election

Opposition party claims landslide victory in Burma election

RANGOON, Burma — The party of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi claimed victory Monday in virtually every seat in four states where results of Burma’s historic parliamentary election were known, signaling a sweep that could give it the presidency and further loosen the military’s stranglehold.

The announcement at the headquarters of the National League for Democracy set off a new round of jubilation among the party’s red-shirted supporters, who already had been celebrating the result of Sunday’s vote.

If those figures are confirmed by official results, it would mean that Suu Kyi’s party would not only dominate Parliament, but could also secure the presidency despite handicaps built into the Constitution.

“I want Mother Suu to win in this election,” said street vendor Ma Khine, using a widely used affectionate term for the 70-year-old party leader.

A constitutional amendment bars anyone with a foreign spouse or child from being president or vice president, meaning Suu Kyi is not eligible for those posts.