Suu Kyi prepares for shift of power

YANGON, Myanmar - The votes are still being counted, but opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the likely victor in Myanmar's elections held Sunday, wasted no time Wednesday getting down to business, setting a meeting with the former and current military men now in charge to talk about a smooth transfer of power.

President Thein Sein, a former army general, congratulated Suu Kyi on her party's lead in the landmark parliamentary elections, moving a step closer toward a power transfer in a nation once under strict military rule. The country's top military commander also offered congratulations to Suu Kyi.

Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, said the president's spokesman called after Myanmar's election commission released results for 40 percent of the vote showing that the NLD was winning by large margins. Although no official concession statement from Thein Sein or his Union Solidarity and Development Party was immediately issued, the gestures from leaders appeared to make that a formality.

Thein Sein's office posted a statement on its Facebook page that said, "Our government will respect the people's decision and choice and will hand over power as scheduled."

Suu Kyi, 70, went ahead with plans to meet with Thein Sein to discuss making good on that pledge, and she wrote to him and two other leaders to stress a need to respect the people's will. The pro-democracy leader was reelected to the parliament in Sunday's vote, results showed Wednesday.

"After all the election tasks of the Union Election Commission will be completed, we will arrange for the talks" with Suu Kyi, a spokesman for the government, Ye Htut, said in a statement.

So far, the NLD has won 256 seats in the parliament, with the government-backed party winning 21 and a handful of seats going to other parties.

The NLD is expecting enough victories to control the legislature, which has two houses totaling 664 seats, 25 percent of which are reserved for military appointees. Seven seats representing areas where there is conflict with armed ethnic groups are not being contested. The NLD thus needs a combined 329 seats in the two houses to give it a majority and allow it to choose the next president.

Myanmar, which was long ruled by a military regime, will move toward a new government in the coming weeks after millions voted Sunday in what observers said was a reasonably fair election.