Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said Thursday she would be “above the president” and run the government if her party wins this weekend's election, in defiant comments addressing a current ban on her taking top office.
“I have said I am going to be above the president,” Suu Kyi said in strong remarks to reporters ahead of this Sunday's vote, which her National League for Democracy (NLD) party hopes to sweep.
Asked to elaborate, she replied: “I have already made plans”.
“We said very openly that somebody will represent the NLD as the President. But, I will make all the important decisions which regard to the government. The President will be working in accordance with NLD policy” she told reporters gathered on the lawn of her Yangon home.
Her path to the presidency is blocked by a charter clause outlawing those with foreign-born offspring taking the top post. Her two sons have British passports and their late father was a British academic.
At the same press conference when addressing the issue of advanced voter fraud she said “Very recently, we received some news that advanced voting has started in some parts of the country. And that is contrary to the rules and regulations of the Union Election Commission. I will not go into detail about it because it will take a long time. But, we will make the information available to everybody.”
She was also asked if she thought all elements of the armed forces would accept the election outcome she replied that “All elements is a big requirement, but sufficient elements would be enough.”
In relation to whether she thought the 2015 election results would be treated the same way as those of the 1990 election she replied “I don’t believe 2015 will be like 1990, not even like 2010. In the case of advanced voting, there was widespread fraud in 2010. Nobody did anything about that fraud. But, now there are people who reject these things. People have become brave enough to raise up their voices. So, the situation has become a lot different. I think 1990 will not happen again. What is important is to be calm and peaceful before the elections and to tackle election fraud legally and effectively.”
Polls in 1990 swept by the NLD were ignored by the military while a 2010 election was boycotted by Suu Kyi's opposition over fraud fears.
Many hope Sunday's election will be the country's freest and fairest for a generation but concerns remain in a country with a long history of the army stifling democracy.