Myanmar: First free national vote in 25 years
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Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) – whose landslide victory in a 1990 election was ignored by the junta – is expected to trounce the ruling, military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP)

Although barred from becoming president, Suu Kyi could wield considerable sway on who should lead Myanmar after elections
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1990 ELECTION
NLD won 52.5% of national vote, translating into nearly 80% of seats
492 seats NLD 392  Others 100
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CURRENT DISTRIBUTION OF ASSEMBLY OF UNION (PYIDAUNGSU HLUTTAW)
USDP won 336 seats in upper and lower houses in 2010 general election –
boycotted by NLD. NLD won 41seats in 2012 by-elections

Upper House (Amyotha Hluttaw)
224 seats USDP 124 Military 56 Others 40 NLD 4
Reserved for military as enshrined in 2008 Constitution
Lower House (Pyithu Hluttaw)
440 seats USDP 212 Military 110 Others 81 NLD 37
President Thein Sein’s USDP serves as proxy party for military
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Ethnic Bamar majority
High proportion of ethnic minorities
INDIA B’DESH CHINA MYANMAR Nay Pyi Taw LAOS THAILAND Yangon (Rangoon) Bay of Bengal
200km 125 miles

NLD set for large win in Bamar- dominated regions, but needs to win seats in minority ethnic states to secure overall majority
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Source: Eurasia Review Picture: Associated Press

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