Sunday, March 10, 2013

Suu Kyi re-elected Burma's opposition NLD leader


Burma's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) has re-elected Aung San Suu Kyi as its leader, at the end of its first ever congress.

She had earlier appealed for unity, addressing party delegates in Rangoon.

After the party won elections in 1990, its activities were severely restricted by Burma's military rulers.

But it won seats in parliament last year following reforms by the new civilian government and is looking towards elections in 2015.

She was chosen to remain as chairwoman unanimously by the party's central committee, a source told AFP news agency.

She is one of four women on the NLD's 15-member executive, the BBC's Jonah Fisher reports from Rangoon.

Aung San Suu Kyi, 67, was among those elected to parliament last year and, in her speech on Saturday, the NLD chairwoman acknowledged there had been infighting and factionalism within the party.

"For the benefit of the country we should unite and get along," the Nobel laureate told the assembled 900 delegates.

Now, with a real chance of the party taking office in two years' time, Aung San Suu Kyi has called for younger members to be allowed to "strengthen the party with new blood".

"This congress is about choosing the right leaders who will serve both the future of our organisation and our country," she said.

The NLD has an estimated 1.2 million members across Burma. After elections in 1990 the military never allowed the party to take power and kept its chairwoman under house arrest.

It boycotted parliamentary polls in 2010 because of election laws it said were unfair, but won 43 seats in by-elections in 2012, including one for Aung San Suu Kyi, as a reform process introduced by the nominally civilian administration of President Thein Sein gathered pace.

An ageing and sometimes chaotic movement, it is badly in need of an overhaul, our correspondent says.

Among those attending the congress was a leading official in the military-backed USDP party that still runs Burma.-British Broadcasting Corporation (March 10, 2013)

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