Myanmar’s President says his government and the military, which gave up power only five years ago, will respect the results of Sunday’s elections that are expected to be won by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s party.
Thein Sein’s remarks are also aimed at signalling to the international community that the government is sincere about holding a free and fair election despite concerns about voter list irregularities, intimidation and disenfranchisement of a large section of the population the Rohingya Muslims who have been denied citizenship and made ineligible to vote.
Concerns about the military’s influence stems from events in 1990, when it refused to accept results of elections that were won overwhelmingly by Ms. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party. The junta had ruled Myanmar since 1962.
