YANGON: The Myanmar military's political proxy claimed an overwhelming victory on Tuesday in an election condemned as a fraud by the West, as fresh fighting erupted between rebels and government forces.Pro-democracy parties urged the government to act against "cheating" during the poll, in which the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) had already enjoyed major financial and campaigning advantages.
We have won about 80 per cent of the seats. We are glad," said a senior USDP member who did not wish to be named.The vote appeared to have gone largely according to the junta's plans but clashes between government troops and cultural minority soldiers on Monday triggered an exodus of approximately 20,000 people to neighbouring Thailand.At least three civilians were killed when heavy weapons fire hit the township of Myawaddy in Karen State, an official in Myanmar said. Local residents said on Tuesday that Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) rebels had retreated into surrounding forests pursued by government forces, and distant sounds of fighting were heard."We suppose the government troops are following them to try and totally destroy them," one local man said.There was no official announcement from the junta or election officials on the voting results, but the USDP had been widely expected to cross the poll because in many areas no pro-democracy candidates were still standing.The army-backed party - formed by Prime Minister Thein Sein and other former military top brass who shed their uniforms for the vote - said turnout was more than 70 per cent, despite muted activity seen at many polling stations.Win Min, an exiled Myanmar academic, said the USDP was likely to sweep more than 82 per cent of the seating to get the crushing victory scored by the resistance in 1990 - an event never recognized by the ruling generals.Opposition parties have complained about widespread reports of irregularities, particularly with advance ballots."Officials want to direct action against vote cheating," Than Nyein, chairman of the National Democratic Force (NDF), said.He said the party, created by other members of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi's National Conference for Democracy, so far appeared to have won only roughly 10 per cent of the more than 160 seats it contested."Our nation has lacked dignity in the earth so we wanted to fix our pride with a fair election. I'm really bad because these acts could further damage the lordliness of our country," he said.Thu Wai, chairman of the Popular Party, said that when people were allowed to vote freely they had supported his party."But they have won with advance votes. We cannot do anything," he said.With 25 per cent of the seats in parliament reserved for military appointees whatever the outcome, the two independent pro-junta parties needed to win just another 26 per cent from the elective seats to ensure a majority.In many constituencies the crown was a two-way struggle between the USDP and the Internal Unity Party (NUP), which is the heir to late dictator Ne Win's party and also closely aligned with the military.US President Barack Obama led international criticism of the vote."It is impossible to buy an election, as the authorities in Burma (Myanmar) has done again for all the earth to see," he said in a lecture to the Indian parliament on Monday.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the vote "insufficiently inclusive, participatory and transparent", his spokesman said.Myanmar's southeast Asian neighbours, however, welcomed the crown as a "significant step forward"."ASEAN encourages Myanmar to proceed to speed the process of internal reconciliation and democratisation, for constancy and evolution in the country," chair Vietnam said in a statement.After the election, attention was turning to whether the regime will release Suu Kyi on Saturday, when her current condition of house hold is due to end. The democracy icon has been detained for most of the preceding 20 days and her party boycotted the poll, saying the rules were unfair.Agence France-Presse
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