In a Facebook post today (Nov. 13), Foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan congratulated State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi for winning the election in Myanmar.

Secured majority of seats

While the full results have not been finalised, Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) has currently secured 346 seats out of the 412 declared so far.

This gives them the majority needed to form the government for the next term.

Vivian wrote that the election marks another important milestone in Myanmar's democratic transition, noting that Singapore was both a friend of Myanmar and an ASEAN neighbour.

He also wished Suu Kyi and the Burmese people well, saying that he looked forward to continuing working closely with the Burmese government, to deepen the friendship and cooperation between both countries.

Voting cancelled in conflict areas

A general election took place in Myanmar on Nov. 8, and the first results were released on Nov. 13.

Her party is winning by a similar margin to 2015, the same year Myanmar was able to vote freely for the first time after the end of full military rule.

Myanmar was ruled by their military for almost 50 years.

However, Suu Kyi's government is still required to work with the military closely, especially in areas regarding the country's defence and security.

While the vote reflects popular support for Suu Kyi's government, some took issue with the election results.

The main opposition party, Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) had raised objections to the results on Nov. 11 and demanded a new vote.

More than 1.5 million voters were unable to vote in this election after the polls were cancelled in most areas in the Rakhine state due to security concerns.

According to Reuters, the election commission said claims of voting irregularities were "from a minority of participants."

The article also noted that observers, both international and domestic, claims the vote went smoothly, "and without major irregularities."

Top image via Vivian Balakrishnan's Facebook page

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