Suu Kyi party launches Myanmar political comeback

Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition began its formal return to mainstream Myanmar politics Friday as it applied to re-register as a political party, paving the way for her to run in elections. The National League for Democracy (NLD) announced a week ago it would seek to sign up as a party again - after boycotting last year's parliamentary poll - amid signs of reform in a country long dominated by the military.
Party officials have indicated that the 66-year-old Suu Kyi herself is likely to stand in upcoming by-elections, where 48 seats will be up for grabs, though she has yet to confirm this and no date has been set for a vote. The NLD filed papers at the national electoral commission in the capital Naypyidaw on Friday morning, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.
The commission is expected to take at least a week to approve the application, after which the NLD will need to return with two of its leaders to complete the process. "We are very glad because this is the first step to re-registration. For the next step, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi needs to come to the electoral commission office herself," NLD spokesman Nyan Win, who led the delegation, told AFP. Daw is a term of respect.
The NLD gave the electoral commission the names of 21 party founders, including Suu Kyi. Friday's application was a low-key affair, with only six NLD representatives in attendance. Access to the remote capital is strictly controlled and no party supporters were present. No decision has yet been made on a new NLD symbol, after the party abandoned its traditional bamboo hat logo.
After decades of outright military rule, a much-criticised election in November last year - Myanmar's first in 20 years - brought a nominally civilian government to power, albeit one dominated by the army and its proxies. The new administration has surprised many observers with a series of reformist moves, including holding talks with Suu Kyi, passing a law giving workers the right to strike and releasing hundreds of political prisoners.