YANGON—The National League for Democracy (NLD) had won five of the 13 constituencies up for grabs in Saturday’s by-election and was leading in another three as of 9 p.m. In another five seats, however, it was facing possible defeat to the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP)—its main rival—and the ethnic political parties.
As of 9 p.m. Saturday, the ruling party had won five constituencies in Yangon, Mandalay, Magwe and Bago regions and was ahead in three areas in Chin and Kachin states and in Mandalay Region.
The main opposition USDP had won just two seats—in Seikkan Township in Yangon and Tamu in Sagaing Region.
The newly elected lawmaker for Seikkan Township, the USDP’s U Nay Myo Aung, told The Irrawaddy upon winning that he had “now regained the people’s trust.” He was elected as a Yangon regional lawmaker in 2010, but lost to the NLD in the 2015 general election.
In northern Rakhine State’s Rathedaung Township, a local ethnic independent candidate beat the NLD and two local parties, the Arakan League for Democracy and the Arakan National Party.
Votes were still being counted in the Upper House race in Myitkyina’s constituency No. 2, which was being contested by the NLD, USDP and Kachin Democratic Party.
The NLD was ahead in the race for the Shan ethnic affairs minister’s post in Mandalay Region, which was also being contested by the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), the USDP and the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party.
Of the four Lower House seats up for grabs, the NLD won two: one in Myingyan in Mandalay Region and the other in Yangon’s Tamwe. Preliminary results showed that the SNLD had won in Lechar (Laihka) in Shan State, with 76 percent of the votes counted as of Saturday evening. The NLD and the Chin National Democratic Party were vying for the other Lower House seat, in Chin State’s Kanpetlet constituency.
Of the seven state and regional parliament seats being contested, the USDP won two, in Tamu constituency No. 2 in Sagaing Region and Seikkan constituency No. 2 in Yangon. The Chin League for Democracy (CLD) won in Matupi constituency No. 1 and independent candidate U Tin Maung Win, the son of the detained Rakhine MP Dr. Aye Maung, won in Rathedaung constituency No. 2.
The NLD won in Thabeikkyin constituency No. 1 in Mandalay Region, Minbu constituency No. 2 in Magwe region and Oaktwin constituency No. 1 in Bago region.
According to the Union Election Commission, the official results for Saturday’s polls will be announced by Sunday.
The Irrawaddy reporters Nyein Nyein in Chiang Mai, Zarni Mann in Mandalay and San Yamin Aung in Yangon contributed to this report.
