Myanmar's Union Election Commission announced Friday that Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLD) had won more than half of the seats across the lower and upper house of parliament and gained power to form the first democratically elected government ever since the 1960s. Myanmar is to be congratulated for taking a significant step toward democracy.
Over decades of military rule and political oppression, the Myanmar people have been desperate for changes, and for them Suu Kyi is the sole choice. In this general election, a majority of the electorates have chosen a political party instead of policies. In particular, they are picking up "the Lady."
Does it mean Myanmar will sheer off from army dictatorship to autocratic rule by an elite stateswoman? If so, it will take time for the country, which has rushed onto the democratic path, to mature.
However, the result of the election has precisely reflected the Myanmar people's aspiration to lead a better life through change.
If we say the NLD's outright majority was much anticipated, then the incumbent Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP)'s crushing defeat was somewhat unexpected. The former's triumph has fueled contradictions within the USDP, who must face the strong anti-military feelings of the Myanmar public.
Nonetheless, it remains up in the air whether there will be a smooth transition, who will become president and what role Suu Kyi will play.
Even though Suu Kyi cannot be nominated for president, the Myanmar people still deem her the only leader who can put an end to the nation's backwardness.
Currently, she is most likely to become speaker of the lower or upper house of parliament, consequently leading the new government backstage. "I have already made plans," she said at a recent press conference. "If we win, and the NLD forms a government, I will be above the president." But politics is the art of compromise and monopolizing power means more risks and responsibilities.
That the Nobel laureate and her opposition party participated in the election despite a failure to earlier amend the constitution signals that she has adopted a more practical political approach: seeking democratization by gradual means instead of pinning her hope on becoming president. Such a result is consistent with the principle she has been underlining on numerous occasions. Whether she will assume the post of president is not important but achieving democracy and rule of law in Myanmar matters the most.
Transforming democratic capital into consensus politics and governing capacity constitutes a key task for Suu Kyi and her party. The new leadership needs to formulate domestic and foreign policies that mix pragmatism and idealism to promote people's living standard, unite ethnic groups mired in prolonged conflicts and eliminate confrontations among different religions.
However, owing to some uncertainties at the present stage, Myanmar's political scenario will be murky for some time in the post-election period.
Whether a smooth transition between the two governments will occur in practice remains vague.
Though President U Thein Sein has promised a smooth transfer of power on schedule, the fear of military intervention remains. But if Myanmar's major political forces can strike a balance through dialogues and negotiations, a peaceful transfer is likely to appear.
How the military brass will share power with the NLD remains unclear. The provision in Myanmar's current constitution that a quarter of the seats in parliament are reserved for Tatmadaw, the nation's armed forces, indicates that the military is attempting to maintain their political influence.
Consequently, whenever the NLD threatens the core interests of the military, it needs to make necessary concessions.
A lack of talent and governing experience is a weakness besetting the NLD. Moreover, religious contradictions are on the rise, which could destroy Myanmar's political stability. Surging Buddhist extremism may lead to increasing violence against the Muslim populace, against which the new government should stay vigilant.
The NLD's campaign slogan is "Time for Change" and the Myanmar public is eager for the change promised, which, however, is not just limited to the government and constitution but also covers economic growth, people's livelihoods, ethnic equality, and even opportunities.
The author is a professor at the School of International Studies at Yunnan University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn