Myanmar counts ballots after Suu Kyi's day of destiny

Vote counting in Myanmar's landmark election was well underway Monday following a massive turnout that could see Aung San Suu Kyi's party catapulted to power and the end of decades of military control.

Millions had queued the previous day to cast their ballots for the first time in a quarter of a century, in an event heavy with history and filled with emotion.

As the count began in earnest, early indications were of an "80 percent" turnout, according to Union Election Commission deputy director Thant Zin Aung -- a figure the opposition believe favours their bid for a majority.

Thousands of supporters -- many decked out in the party's red colour -- gathered outside the Yangon headquarters of the National League for Democracy in the hope of some indication of victory from Suu Kyi.

But the woman known affectionately as "The Lady" did not appear.

Instead NLD patron Tin Oo read a message from the party's figurehead.

"I urge you to wait for the result from your own homes," he said, adding: "When the result comes out, I want you to accept it calmly."

Chanting "Amay Suu must win, NLD must win!" -- Amay means mother in Burmese -- the crowd began to thin as the evening wore on with no result in sight.

More than 30 million people were eligible to vote in Myanmar's freest election for a generation.

The NLD believes a fair vote will power it into government after a decades-long struggle against army dictatorship.

But Nobel Laureate Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency by the army-scripted constitution and the NLD faces an uphill struggle because a quarter of seats are still reserved for the military.

In the capital Naypyidaw, President Thein Sein, a one-time top-ranking junta general, smiled for the cameras and held up his little finger, stained with purple ink, after voting.

His army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is the main obstacle to an NLD victory.

Many voters remain nervous about how the powerful army will react if it loses, with concerns over the fraud that riddled previous elections.

But after casting his vote in the capital, Myanmar's powerful army chief said his troops would respect the voice of the electorate.

"Just as the winner accepts the result, so should the loser," Min Aung Hlaing told reporters.

Caption: Aung San Suu Kyi

Photo: Arab News