Myanmar's Suu Kyi meets parliament boss after victory
Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi held talks with parliament's powerful chairman on November 15 after an election landslide set to usher in democracy and sweep out much of the military old guard.
With only three seats in the bicameral parliament yet to be declared, the victory allows the National League for Democracy (NLD) to form the next government after years of disenfranchisement under the military's 1962-2011 rule.
On the eve of what could be the last session of the current parliament, lower house chairman Shwe Mann, who lost his seat in the Nov. 8 vote and was ousted in August as head of the ruling party, said Suu Kyi had sought help in the transition period.
The reformist ex-general wields much influence over current lawmakers and his cooperation in the coming weeks could be vital in removing potential legislative obstacles before the NLD takes office, probably in late March.
Shwe Mann's warm ties with Suu Kyi and his attempt to block some military from running as Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) candidates led to his removal as party leader.
Shwe Mann was among hundreds of losing USDP lawmakers in what appears to be an overwhelming public rejection of a party that was set up by the military and was swept to power in a 2010 election boycotted by the NLD.
The armed forces commander, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and President Thein Sein have been unambiguous in their endorsements of the NLD victory.
But suspicions still linger among some in Myanmar who in 1990 saw an NLD landslide election win ignored by the junta.