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[h=4]Burma ruling party concedes election defeat[/h]The ruling political party here conceded defeat to Aung San Suu Kyi's<span style="color: Red;">*</span>opposition party<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in the nation's first free general election in a quarter of a century.
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The National League for Democracy is led by Noble Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi. Myanmar's constitution bars Suu Kyi from the presidency because she is a woman, but she has said she will rule in a position "above the president," if elected. AP
Leader of Myanmar's National League for Democracy party, Aung San Suu Kyi, right, delivers a speech with party patron Tin Oo from a balcony of her party's headquarters in Yangon, Myanmar, on Nov. 9.(Photo: AP)
RANGOON, Burma<span style="color: Red;">*</span>— Hundreds of people gathered outside the party headquarters of<span style="color: Red;">*</span>opposition leader and Nobel<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Peace Prize recipient<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Aung San Suu Kyi to celebrate on<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Monday as<span style="color: Red;">*</span>her spokesman said the party was<span style="color: Red;">*</span>headed for a landslide victory in a national election, the country's first fully open one in 25 years.
We lost," Union Solidarity and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Development Party (USDP) leader<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Htay Oo<span style="color: Red;">*</span>told the Reuters news agency,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>although<span style="color: Red;">*</span>votes were still being counted.
The National League for Democracy (NLD),<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Suu Kyi's party, said it<span style="color: Red;">*</span>won almost<span style="color: Red;">*</span>every seat in Parliament from<span style="color: Red;">*</span>four<span style="color: Red;">*</span>out of 14 states tabulated so far.
Party supporters gathered on a thoroughfare in front of the NLD's headquarters<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>an impromptu<span style="color: Red;">*</span>street party<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Monday night.
A steady stream of arrivals<span style="color: Red;">*</span>added<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>raucous crowd waving red flags, shouting<span style="color: Red;">*</span>slogans<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and singing<span style="color: Red;">*</span>campaign songs. Roars went up as new election returns favoring the NLD were announced. Buses and cars inched their way through the sea<span style="color: Red;">*</span>of supporters, many passengers giving thumbs up and slapping hands as they passed.
"There's never been anything like this," said taxi driver Aung Aung, 27.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"People are so happy because we needed to change."
USA TODAY
Profile: Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi
Suu Kyi<span style="color: Red;">*</span>urged caution earlier in the day, saying it was<span style="color: Red;">*</span>premature to celebrate.
“I think you all have the idea of the results,” Suu Kyi<span style="color: Red;">*</span>told<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a crowd gathered at NLD's headquarters.
The final official results are not expected until Tuesday at the earliest.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Partial results released by the country's electoral commission showed the NLD on track to win the largest number of parliamentary seats. Burma is<span style="color: Red;">*</span>also known as Myanmar.
But the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>military<span style="color: Red;">*</span>will retain<span style="color: Red;">*</span>25% of the seats in parliament regardless of the vote's outcome and Suu Kyi is barred from becoming the country's president under a constitution written by the military<span style="color: Red;">*</span>because her late husband is British.
Suu Kyi has said that if elected<span style="color: Red;">*</span>she would rule in a position "above the president," but the precise meaning of that role was not clear.
USA TODAY
Profile: Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi
Suu Kyi, 70,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>spent decades trying to bring democracy to Myanmar, including<span style="color: Red;">*</span>15 years under house arrest for defying the nation's military rulers.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>She was released in 2010.
Earlier, heavy rain<span style="color: Red;">*</span>didn't deter NLD supporters from celebrating<span style="color: Red;">*</span>outside the party's headquarters.
"The rain is a blessing," said Michael Zaw, wearing an NLD headband and standing in the downpour without an umbrella. "We believe it is cleaning away the bad things for a new start."
For Kyi Win, 70, who was<span style="color: Red;">*</span>wearing a shirt with Suu Kyi's face on it, the projected result was "an amazing victory."
"This is more than I expected. We've been waiting for 50 years. This victory is for the future of our country. The future will be bright for the young generation," he said.
USA TODAY
In Burma, millions take first steps into democracy
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