Myanmar's military on Saturday vowed to abide by the country's constitution, in an apparent backtracking after its commander-in-chief spurred fears of a coup when he suggested the charter could be repealed.&nbsp;

The army has for weeks alleged widespread irregularities in November's election, won in a landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD).&nbsp;

Tensions were ramped up Tuesday when a military spokesman refused to rule out the possibility of a coup.&nbsp;

A day later, army chief General Min Aung Hlaing -- arguably the most powerful person in Myanmar -- said revoking the 2008 junta-scripted constitution could be "necessary" under certain circumstances.&nbsp;

His comments -- translated into English and published in the army-run Myawady newspaper -- sent shockwaves through the nascent democracy, which is only a decade out of the grips of a 49-year military dictatorship.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Saturday the army released a statement claiming its commander-in-chief had been misunderstood, though the statement did not directly address fears of an imminent coup.&nbsp;

"Some organisations and media defined the speech of the Commander-in-Chief as they liked... without respecting the full text of the speech," said an English translation of the statement.

"The Tatmadaw is abiding by the constitution... (and) will perform its tasks within the frame of enacted law while safeguarding it," it added, referring to the army by its official Burmese name.

The last time the country saw its constitution revoked was in 1988, when the military reinstated a junta after a popular uprising.

The general's comments on the constitution drew alarm from more than a dozen foreign missions and the United Nations, while smaller political parties called for a resolution between Aung San Suu Kyi and the military.&nbsp;

The country's highest Buddhist authority even stepped in, with senior monks of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee issuing a statement late Friday calling for negotiations to prevail "instead of heated arguments".&nbsp;&nbsp;

- 'Narrow path to democracy' -

The military is alleging 10 million cases of voter fraud in November's polls, and is demanding the election commission release the electoral roll for cross-checking.&nbsp;

Their call has been taken up by military supporters, hundreds of whom turned up Saturday outside Yangon's famed Shwedagon pagoda to protest against the election commission.&nbsp;

They were joined by hardline nationalist monks who carried banners rejecting "interference from foreign countries".

Meanwhile, some neighbourhoods in Yangon saw the NLD's signature red flags go up on windows and adorn store fronts -- an apparent show of support for Aung San Suu Kyi's government.&nbsp;

The commission denied fraud on Thursday, reaffirming that the polls were free, fair and conducted with transparency, though it conceded there were "flaws" in the voter lists.&nbsp;

Thant Myint-U, a historian and author of "The Hidden History of Burma", said "the priority now is protecting Myanmar's incredibly narrow path to democracy".

"But equally important is finding a resolution to the present crisis that doesn't harm prospects for future peace," he told AFP.

Myanmar's military on Saturday vowed to abide by the country's constitution, in an apparent backtracking after its commander-in-chief spurred fears of a coup when he suggested the charter could be repealed.

Myanmar's military on Saturday vowed to abide by the country's constitution, in an apparent backtracking after its commander-in-chief spurred fears of a coup when he suggested the charter could be repealed. The army has for weeks alleged widespread irregularities in November's election, won in a landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD). Tensions were ramped up Tuesday when a military spokesman refused to rule out the possibility of a coup. A day later, army chief General Min Aung Hlaing -- arguably the most powerful person in Myanmar -- said revoking the 2008 junta-scripted constitution could be "necessary" under certain circumstances. His comments -- translated into English and published in the army-run Myawady newspaper -- sent shockwaves through the nascent democracy, which is only a decade out of the grips of a 49-year military dictatorship. On Saturday the army released a statement claiming its commander-in-chief had been misunderstood, though the statement did not directly address fears of an imminent coup. "Some organisations and media defined the speech of the Commander-in-Chief as they liked... without respecting the full text of the speech," said an English translation of the statement. "The Tatmadaw is abiding by the constitution... (and) will perform its tasks within the frame of enacted law while safeguarding it," it added, referring to the army by its official Burmese name. The last time the country saw its constitution revoked was in 1988, when the military reinstated a junta after a popular uprising. The general's comments on the constitution drew alarm from more than a dozen foreign missions and the United Nations, while smaller political parties called for a resolution between Aung San Suu Kyi and the military. The country's highest Buddhist authority even stepped in, with senior monks of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee issuing a statement late Friday calling for negotiations to prevail "instead of heated arguments". - 'Narrow path to democracy' - The military is alleging 10 million cases of voter fraud in November's polls, and is demanding the election commission release the electoral roll for cross-checking. Their call has been taken up by military supporters, hundreds of whom turned up Saturday outside Yangon's famed Shwedagon pagoda to protest against the election commission. They were joined by hardline nationalist monks who carried banners rejecting "interference from foreign countries". Meanwhile, some neighbourhoods in Yangon saw the NLD's signature red flags go up on windows and adorn store fronts -- an apparent show of support for Aung San Suu Kyi's government. The commission denied fraud on Thursday, reaffirming that the polls were free, fair and conducted with transparency, though it conceded there were "flaws" in the voter lists. Thant Myint-U, a historian and author of "The Hidden History of Burma", said "the priority now is protecting Myanmar's incredibly narrow path to democracy". "But equally important is finding a resolution to the present crisis that doesn't harm prospects for future peace," he told AFP.

Myanmar army plays down coup rhetoric as fears swirl

Myanmar's powerful military has triggered worry about a coup after threatening to "take action" over alleged fraud in a November election won by the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, just days before a new parliament convenes.

The military's allegations of voter list irregularities have been accompanied by cryptic comments about abolishing the constitution that have captured public attention and raised the spectre of a coup in a country ruled by the military for half a century after a 1962 military takeover.

The National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner and figurehead of Myanmar's long struggle against dictatorship, won 83% of available seats in the Nov. 8 election seen as a referendum on her fledgling democratic government.

WHY IS THE MILITARY CHALLENGING THE VOTE?

The military alleges discrepancies such as duplicated names on voting lists in scores of districts and is unhappy with the election commission's response to its complaints.

The military has been guarded about its motives and has not said if irregularities were substantial enough to have changed the election outcome.

Its grievance is similar to that of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the former ruling party created by the military before it officially ceded power in 2011.

The USDP, widely seen as a military proxy, was humiliated in the election, winning only 33 of 476 available seats.

WHY IS THE MILITARY GETTING INVOLVED?

As the architect of Myanmar's 2008 constitution and fledgling democracy, the military, known as the Tatmadaw, sees itself as the guardian of national unity and the constitution, and it has enshrined a permanent role for itself in the political system.

It gets an unelected quota of 25% of parliamentary seats and it controls the defence, interior and borders ministries, ensuring an important stake in politics, which has made for an awkward power-sharing arrangement with the NLD, many members of which suffered imprisonment and persecution by the former junta.

Columnist San Yu Kyaw said the political positioning was a last-ditch show of power by the military top brass before their mandatory retirement.

"The political ambitions of Tatmadaw leaders have not been reached so they are acting this way," he said.

WHAT HAS THE NLD, OTHER PARTIES SAID?

Suu Kyi has not commented on her party's election victory, nor on the military's complaints, but the NLD said the military's allegations were groundless and any election flaws would not have changed the outcome.

Of the more than 90 parties that contested the vote, at least 17 have complained of mostly minor irregularities and all except the USDP are smaller parties. Election observers have said the voting was without major irregularities.

The election commission on Thursday said there were no errors on a scale that could mean fraud or the election being discredited.

WHAT IS THE MILITARY PLANNING TO DO?

The spokesman for the armed forces, Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, held a news conference on Tuesday to renew the allegations but gave a succession of non-committal answers to questions about the military's intentions.

He said the military would "take action", and use all available options including the Supreme Court. Asked if the military would cooperate with the new government and legislature, he told reporters "wait and watch". 
Asked if he would rule out a coup, Zaw Min Tun said "cannot say so".

The military spokesman did not answer phone calls seeking comment on Friday.

IS A COUP LIKELY?

The constitution makes it difficult for the military to legally intervene against an elected government.

The commander-in-chief can take power only in extreme circumstances that could cause "disintegration of the union, disintegration of national solidarity and loss of sovereign power", but only during a state of emergency, which can only be declared by the civilian president.

To take power by force, it might have to breach its own constitution.

The commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, caused intrigue on Wednesday when he told military personnel a constitution was a "mother law for all laws" and if not abided by, it should be revoked. He cited previous instances when that had happened in Myanmar.

Legal expert Khin Maung Zaw said talk of scrapping the constitution was unreasonable.

"I wonder if they want to abolish it because they cannot protect their own interests," said Khin Maung Zaw.

Myanmar's powerful military has triggered worry about a coup after threatening to "take action" over alleged fraud in a November election won by the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, just days before a new parliament convenes.

Myanmar's powerful military has triggered worry about a coup after threatening to "take action" over alleged fraud in a November election won by the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, just days before a new parliament convenes. The military's allegations of voter list irregularities have been accompanied by cryptic comments about abolishing the constitution that have captured public attention and raised the spectre of a coup in a country ruled by the military for half a century after a 1962 military takeover. The National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner and figurehead of Myanmar's long struggle against dictatorship, won 83% of available seats in the Nov. 8 election seen as a referendum on her fledgling democratic government. WHY IS THE MILITARY CHALLENGING THE VOTE? The military alleges discrepancies such as duplicated names on voting lists in scores of districts and is unhappy with the election commission's response to its complaints. The military has been guarded about its motives and has not said if irregularities were substantial enough to have changed the election outcome. Its grievance is similar to that of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the former ruling party created by the military before it officially ceded power in 2011. The USDP, widely seen as a military proxy, was humiliated in the election, winning only 33 of 476 available seats. WHY IS THE MILITARY GETTING INVOLVED? As the architect of Myanmar's 2008 constitution and fledgling democracy, the military, known as the Tatmadaw, sees itself as the guardian of national unity and the constitution, and it has enshrined a permanent role for itself in the political system. It gets an unelected quota of 25% of parliamentary seats and it controls the defence, interior and borders ministries, ensuring an important stake in politics, which has made for an awkward power-sharing arrangement with the NLD, many members of which suffered imprisonment and persecution by the former junta. Columnist San Yu Kyaw said the political positioning was a last-ditch show of power by the military top brass before their mandatory retirement. "The political ambitions of Tatmadaw leaders have not been reached so they are acting this way," he said. WHAT HAS THE NLD, OTHER PARTIES SAID? Suu Kyi has not commented on her party's election victory, nor on the military's complaints, but the NLD said the military's allegations were groundless and any election flaws would not have changed the outcome. Of the more than 90 parties that contested the vote, at least 17 have complained of mostly minor irregularities and all except the USDP are smaller parties. Election observers have said the voting was without major irregularities. The election commission on Thursday said there were no errors on a scale that could mean fraud or the election being discredited. WHAT IS THE MILITARY PLANNING TO DO? The spokesman for the armed forces, Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, held a news conference on Tuesday to renew the allegations but gave a succession of non-committal answers to questions about the military's intentions. He said the military would "take action", and use all available options including the Supreme Court. Asked if the military would cooperate with the new government and legislature, he told reporters "wait and watch". Asked if he would rule out a coup, Zaw Min Tun said "cannot say so". The military spokesman did not answer phone calls seeking comment on Friday. IS A COUP LIKELY? The constitution makes it difficult for the military to legally intervene against an elected government. The commander-in-chief can take power only in extreme circumstances that could cause "disintegration of the union, disintegration of national solidarity and loss of sovereign power", but only during a state of emergency, which can only be declared by the civilian president. To take power by force, it might have to breach its own constitution. The commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, caused intrigue on Wednesday when he told military personnel a constitution was a "mother law for all laws" and if not abided by, it should be revoked. He cited previous instances when that had happened in Myanmar. Legal expert Khin Maung Zaw said talk of scrapping the constitution was unreasonable. "I wonder if they want to abolish it because they cannot protect their own interests," said Khin Maung Zaw.

Myanmar army flexes muscles as Suu Kyi's government begins second term

Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling party secured an absolute majority in Myanmar's election, official results showed Friday, in a poll disputed by the military-aligned opposition and criticised by rights groups.

Her National League for Democracy (NLD) had already declared a landslide victory based on its own tallies, prompting street celebrations by supporters.

But official figures were still being returned five days after the ballot,&nbsp;only the second such polls since the nation emerged from outright military rule in 2011.

Results announced by the election commission Friday showed the NLD had won 346 seats —- more than 50 percent of parliament, even taking into account the quarter of seats reserved for the military under the constitution.

The party is on track to improve on its landslide win in 2015, despite widespread disillusion in many ethnic-minority areas.

"People clearly realised the need for the NLD to get enough votes to form a government on their own," NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told AFP, adding this would help "minimise political conflict".

The military-aligned opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has been trounced across the country, winning just 25 seats by Friday.

The party alleges the vote was neither free nor fair and is demanding that the Union Election Commission (UEC) step down and polls be re-run.

Yangon-based analyst Khin Zaw Win warned the coming months will be messy, adding the situation was a consequence of the UEC being filled with "yes-men and incompetents".

Under the constitution, the government appoints all commission members.

But even if some results were overturned, "the NLD landslide is so large that they wouldn't alter the overall outcome", said Richard Horsey from the International Crisis Group.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already tweeted his congratulations to Suu Kyi, writing he looked forward to strengthening the neighbours' "traditional bonds of friendship".

Observers have widely concluded that voting took place smoothly on the day, despite forecasts of a low turnout due to a recent surge of coronavirus cases.

But they condemned what they described as the election commission's lack of transparency and its cancellation of the polls across many ethnic minority areas -- ostensibly for security reasons.

The move left 1.5 million voters disenfranchised and sparked grievances in already restive areas that the playing field had been tilted in favour of the NLD.

Some will conclude the electoral process does not work for them and choose "political insurrection or insurgency instead", warned Horsey.

Rights groups have also condemned the vote, which left virtually all Rohingya Muslims disenfranchised, either languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps or stripped of citizenship in Myanmar.

Even though Suu Kyi's international reputation was badly hurt over the Rohingya crisis -- for which the country now faces charges of genocide -- she remains widely revered within Myanmar.

Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling party secured an absolute majority in Myanmar's election, official results showed Friday, in a poll disputed by the military-aligned opposition and criticised by rights groups.

Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling party secured an absolute majority in Myanmar's election, official results showed Friday, in a poll disputed by the military-aligned opposition and criticised by rights groups. Her National League for Democracy (NLD) had already declared a landslide victory based on its own tallies, prompting street celebrations by supporters. But official figures were still being returned five days after the ballot, only the second such polls since the nation emerged from outright military rule in 2011. Results announced by the election commission Friday showed the NLD had won 346 seats —- more than 50 percent of parliament, even taking into account the quarter of seats reserved for the military under the constitution. The party is on track to improve on its landslide win in 2015, despite widespread disillusion in many ethnic-minority areas. "People clearly realised the need for the NLD to get enough votes to form a government on their own," NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told AFP, adding this would help "minimise political conflict". The military-aligned opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has been trounced across the country, winning just 25 seats by Friday. The party alleges the vote was neither free nor fair and is demanding that the Union Election Commission (UEC) step down and polls be re-run. Yangon-based analyst Khin Zaw Win warned the coming months will be messy, adding the situation was a consequence of the UEC being filled with "yes-men and incompetents". Under the constitution, the government appoints all commission members. But even if some results were overturned, "the NLD landslide is so large that they wouldn't alter the overall outcome", said Richard Horsey from the International Crisis Group. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already tweeted his congratulations to Suu Kyi, writing he looked forward to strengthening the neighbours' "traditional bonds of friendship". Observers have widely concluded that voting took place smoothly on the day, despite forecasts of a low turnout due to a recent surge of coronavirus cases. But they condemned what they described as the election commission's lack of transparency and its cancellation of the polls across many ethnic minority areas -- ostensibly for security reasons. The move left 1.5 million voters disenfranchised and sparked grievances in already restive areas that the playing field had been tilted in favour of the NLD. Some will conclude the electoral process does not work for them and choose "political insurrection or insurgency instead", warned Horsey. Rights groups have also condemned the vote, which left virtually all Rohingya Muslims disenfranchised, either languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps or stripped of citizenship in Myanmar. Even though Suu Kyi's international reputation was badly hurt over the Rohingya crisis -- for which the country now faces charges of genocide -- she remains widely revered within Myanmar.

Suu Kyi's party wins absolute majority in Myanmar polls

Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to win a second term in office when authorities in Myanmar release early election results on Monday.

Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi in line for second term

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Myanmar army plays down coup rhetoric as fears swirl

Myanmar army flexes muscles as Suu Kyi's government begins second term

Suu Kyi's party wins absolute majority in Myanmar polls

Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi in line for second term