Suu Kyi wins big

Myanmar's voters have spoken in the first openly contested election after 25 years, and the National League for Democracy, the party headed by opposition leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is on the way to a landslide victory. We wholeheartedly congratulate her and the people of Myanmar whose long struggle has finally culminated in a new birth of democracy.  

But the extent to which Suu Kyi will actually be allowed to lead the country is still uncertain. Myanmar's military imposed constitution reserves a quarter of the seats in parliament for unelected members of the military and includes a clause barring anyone married to a foreigner from being president. The clause was apparently added by the military junta that has ruled the country since 1962, specifically to keep Suu Kyi, whose late husband and two sons are British citizens, out of power. Nonetheless, she is still likely to play an important role, saying she will have an informal position "above the president."

Challenges before her are aplenty. The Rohingya issue will be a major test for her given her silence on the persecution of Rohingyas and the growing strain of virulent communalism that is gaining force in the country's politics. While the NLD appears to have performed well in several minority-dominated regions, the Rohingyas were disenfranchised under discriminatory voting laws. 

Suu Kyi has more room to maneuver now that she has won a mandate from voters. Her win, we hope, will usher in a new era of inclusive policies in Myanmar and lead to enhanced cooperation with its neighbours, particularly in trade and commerce, human trafficking and anti-drug smuggling efforts.