General elections were held in Myanmar on 8 November 2015, with the National League for Democracy winning a supermajority of seats in the combined national parliament. Voting occurred in all constituencies, excluding seats appointed by the military, to select Members of Assembly to seats in both the Amyotha Hluttaw and the Pyithu Hluttaw of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, and State and Region Hluttaws. Ethnic Affairs Ministers were also elected by their designated electorates on the same day, although only select ethnic minorities in particular states and regions were entitled to vote for them.
These polls were the first openly contested election held in the country since 1990, which was annulled by the military government after the National League for Democracy's (NLD) victory. The poll was preceded by the 2010 general election, which was marred by a boycott and widespread allegations of systematic fraud by the victorious Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).
The NLD won a sweeping victory, taking 86 percent of the seats in the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (235 in the Pyithu Hluttaw and 135 in the Amyotha Hluttaw), well more than the 67 percent supermajority needed to ensure that its preferred candidates would be elected president and second vice president in the Presidential Electoral College. While the NLD only needed a simple majority to carry on the normal business of government, it needed at least 67 percent to outvote the combined pro-military bloc in the Presidential Electoral College (the USDP and the appointed legislators representing the military). Although NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from the presidency (as both her late husband and her children are foreign citizens), she was made the de facto head of government, after being appointed to a newly created office, the State Counsellor of Myanmar.
Preparation As the election approached, the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party confirmed it would contest its winning constituencies from 2010. The opposition National League for Democracy party confirmed it would contest even if a constitutional measure barring Aung San Suu Kyi from running for president was not amended.
The National Unity Party confirmed it would review its winning seats from 2010 and would consider other constituencies to challenge. The National Democratic Force said the party was prepared to challenge in as many as 200 constituencies but was still determining candidates. Ethnic political groups would contest in each state based on ethnic party strongholds, although some indicated they would consider forming an alliance as the Federal Union Party.
Before the election, 91 political parties were registered to take part in 2015.
In July 2015, Myanmar's Union Election Commission (UEC) designated the number of constituencies for running in the 2015 general election of four levels of parliamentary representatives: 330 constituencies for elections to the Pyithu Hluttaw, 168 for the Amyotha Hluttaw, 644 for the State and Regional Hluttaws (local parliaments) and 29 for ethnic ministers of the local parliaments. The UEC also issued procedures for international observers to follow in monitoring the election, which was preliminarily scheduled for the end of October or the beginning of November.
The Union Election Commission cancelled elections in Kyethi and Mong Hsu townships in Shan State following armed clashes between the Tatmadaw and the insurgent Shan State Army - North. Despite calls by the Shan State Progressive Party to proceed with the elections, the UEC has denied the request, stating that it is not possible to hold free and fair elections in these areas. Elections were further cancelled in some villages in Hopang, Namtit, both of which fall within the nation's Wa Self-Administered Division, and under the control of the insurgent United Wa State Army. The cancellation of these elections will see the vacancy of 7 seats in the House of Representatives and 14 seats in the Shan State Hluttaw.
Cancellation of by-elections By-elections had been scheduled to be held in November or December 2014, to elect members for six seats in the Amyotha Hluttaw, 13 in the Pyithu Hluttaw, and 11 in state and regional legislatures. The seat vacancies were primarily the result of their former holders' moves to ministerial posts or departmental positions within government, but also included some other constituencies where representatives had died. The by-elections were expected to indicate the relative strengths of the contending parties, including President Thein Sein's Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
On 7 September 2014, the Union Election Commission cancelled the by-election because the period for campaigning would take place too close to that of the general elections in 2015 and because the results would therefore not have had any political significance.
Possible presidential candidates
Before election In the event of a USDP victory, President Thein Sein was considered the frontrunner to continue as president after the election. Commander-in-Chief of the Military Min Aung Hlaing is close to retirement and was another favourite for the presidency, but may assume the role after a transitional period headed by another ex-military figure. Aung San Suu Kyi has reiterated her desire to become the next president but constitutional changes need to take place before she would be allowed to run. Although Parliament voted against most constitutional amendments on 25 June 2015 meaning that Aung San Suu Kyi cannot become president in the election, Suu Kyi later stated that she would be "above the President" if the NLD won the elections.Suu Kyi 'will be above president' if NLD wins Myanmar election BBC News, 5 November 2015
Shwe Mann, the former No. 3 in the junta who is now speaker of House of Representatives, considered reform-minded, was the most likely figure to take the mantle from Thein Sein until he was removed from his position within the party on 12 August 2015.
After election While National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from the presidency, former commander-in-chief of Tatmadaw Tin Oo, Aung San Suu Kyi's personal physician Tin Myo Win, Htin Kyaw, Myo Aung and Tin Mar Aung are mentioned as possible presidential picks and Khun Htun Oo, Sai Nyunt Lwin and Aye Thar Aung are mentioned as possible vice presidential picks after the election. On 10 March 2016, Htin Kyaw and Henry Van Thio were nominated as the Vice Presidents of Myanmar by NLD. Htin Kyaw was elected as the ninth president of Myanmar on 15 March 2016 by 360 of the 652 MPs at the Assembly of the Union; Aung San Suu Kyi was appointed as the State Counsellor, a position similar to Prime Minister, on 6 April 2016.
Results
The National League for Democracy (NLD) obtained a majority of the total seats in both the Amyotha Hluttaw and the Pyithu Hluttaw of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, which is enough for its nominees to win election as president and first vice president in the Presidential Electoral College, and for control over national legislation.
The NLD also received a majority of total combined seats in the State and Regional Hluttaws, including 21 of 29 Ministers of Ethnic Affairs. With the final tally of all elected seats (township and ethnic), it is believed they will have the ability to control most local governments and parliaments, either entirely on its own or with the support of ethnic parties. The exceptions to this are the Rakhine State Hluttaw, where the Arakan National Party won a plurality of total seats and is expected to govern with the NLD's support, and the Shan State Hluttaw, where the USDP (which won a plurality of elected seats) and Military Representatives control roughly equal seats to the combined total of the various other parties, led by the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy and the NLD in second and third place, respectively.
Amyotha Hluttaw
168 of the 224 seats in the Amyotha Hluttaw were up for election. The remaining 56 seats (25%) were not elected, and instead reserved for military appointees (taken from Tatmadaw personnel; officially known as "Defence Services Personnel Representatives"). There are 12 members elected per state/region, including one member from each self-administered zone.
+Representatives elected into Amyotha HluttawDivisionConstituencyPolitical PartyNameChin State 1 Ngun Hay2 Shan Awr3 Henry Van Thio4 Zone Hlae Htan5 Pu Gin Kam Lian6 Cin Khan Pau7 Kyein Ngaik Man8 Mon Law Maung9 Khi Swe Win10 Larl Min Htan11 Hway Tin12 Myo Htet (a.k.a. Sa Lite Myo Htike)Kachin State 1 J Yaw Wu2 Sheila Nan Taung (a.k.a. Ann Nan Taung)3 Ze Khaung4 Naung Na Jatan5 Za Khine Tein Yein6 Min Swe Naing7 Win Zaw8 Khin Ma Gyi9 Khin Maung Myint10 Thein Lwin11 Kham Win Thaung12 Naing Ko KoKayah State 1 Phyaeyal (a.k.a. Myint Than Tun)2 Shay Ral Sha Maung3 Bawral Soe Wai4 Saw Sein Tun5 Shan Mu6 Lwee Zae7 Aung Kyaw Soe8 Kyaw Than9 Soe Thein10 Sai Thae Sein11 Naw Mya Say12 Sai Pan PhaKayin State 1 Saw Moe Myint (a.k.a. Samuel)2 Saw Than Htut3 Saw Chit Oo4 Nan Moe Moe Htwe5 Sai Than Naing6 Nan Ni Ni Aye7 Naw Christ Tun (a.k.a. Arr Kar Moe)8 Mahn Win Khaing Than9 Saw B Sam Thein Myint10 Myo Aung11 Naw Sar Mu Htoo12 Saw Yar Phaung AwaMon State 1 Aye Min Han2 Nwe Nwe Aung3 Khin Zaw Oo4 Lin Tin Htay5 Myat Thidar Htun6 Pe Tin7 Naing Thiha8 Myo Win9 Zaw Lin Htut10 Soe Thiha (a.k.a. Maung Too)11 Hla Myint (a.k.a. Hla Myint Than)12 Thiri YadanarRakhine State 1 Wai Sein Aung2 Tet Tun Aung3 Khin Maung Latt4 Kyaw Kyaw5 Myint Naing6 Aye Thar Aung7 Kyaw Thein8 Kyaw Kyaw Win9 Maung Kyaw Zan10 Kyaw Htan11 Htu May12 Soe WinShan State 1 Zaw Min Latt (a.k.a. Ko Latt)2 Sai Tun Aung3 Sai Wan Hlaing Kham4 Sai Ohn Kyaw5 Nyi Sein6 Sai Sai Kyauk Sam7 Sai Lone San Khat8 Ma Ma Lay9 Khin Thein Pe10 Mai Ohn Khine11 Kyaw Ni Niang12 Sai San AungAyeyarwady Region 1 Soe Moe2 Sa Khin Zaw Lin3 San Myint4 Htain Win5 Maung Maung Ohn6 Man Tun Kyine7 Pya Mto8 Ei Ei Pyone9 Man Toe Shwe10 Thein Swe11 May Than Nwe12 Kyi WinBago Region 1 San Maung Maung2 Moe Myint Aung3 Shwe Shwe Sein Latt4 Win Myat Aye5 Tin Tin Win6 Min Oo7 Mya Thaung8 Win Myint Chit9 Aye Cho10 Win Kyaing11 Win Myint12 Aung TheinMagwe Region 1 Hla San2 Khin Win3 Chit Htwe4 Aung Kyi Nyunt5 Tin Aung Tun6 Win Maung7 Than Than Aye8 Win Myint9 Mya Min Swe10 Kyaw Ngwe11 Kyaw Swe12 Phyu LwinMandalay Region 1 Than Win2 Tun Tun Oo3 Kyaw Than Htun4 Hla Htay (a.k.a. Ohn Kyi)5 Aung Myo Latt6 Kywel Kywel7 Kyaw Tote8 Khin Aung Myint9 Maung Maung Swe10 Kyaw Myint Oo11 Soe Aung12 Kyaw ThihaSagaing Region 1 Kyaw Thaung2 Aung Myo3 Win Aung4 Hla Oo5 Ye Htut6 Zaw Min7 Khin Maung Win8 Ko Ko Naing9 Maung Maung Latt10 Tin Maung Win11 Nyi Nyi Htwe (a.k.a. Ko Ko Lay)12 Min NaingTanintharyi Region 1 Aung Win2 Thet Naing Soe3 Tun Lin4 Han Win Thein5 Lin Wai Phyo Latt6 Tin Wai7 Zaw Hein8 Okkar Min9 Kin Shein10 Soe Thein (a.k.a. Maung Soe)11 Khin Maung Win12 Khin Myo WinYangon Region 1 Htwe Kywe2 Htay Oo3 Myat Nyana Soe4 Than Soe (a.k.a. Than Soe (Economics))5 Ba Myo Thein6 Aung Thu7 Ye Myint Soe8 Kyaw Htwe9 Pe Chit10 Naw Hla Hla Soe11 Aye Bo12 Kyaw Naing
The list of military appointees was published as the UEC Announcement 2/2016.
Pyithu Hluttaw There are 330 of 440 seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw that are elected, of which 323 were filled after seven seats were cancelled due to the ongoing armed insurgencies in Shan State. The remaining 110 seats (25%) were not elected, and instead reserved for military appointees (taken from Tatmadaw personnel; officially known as "Defence Services Personnel Representatives"). Members are elected to constituencies based on township and population.